Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, stars of the hit ice hockey TV series, will appear together at the Olympic Winter Games.

Heated Rivalry stars get even hotter roles in 2026 Olympics

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, stars of the hit ice hockey TV series, will appear together at the Olympic Winter Games.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 22, 2026 11:49 a.m. ET

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Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in 'Heated Rivalry'. Credit:

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

From Sochi to Milan: Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are bringing the heat to this year's Winter Olympics.

*Heated Rivalry* stars and onscreen hockey players Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie have been tapped as official torchbearers for the Olympic Torch Relay, which is set to conclude on Feb. 6 in Milan, Italy. Instead of taking to the ice like their characters, the pair will be carrying the Olympic flame ahead of this year's opening ceremony.

Previous celebrity torchbearers have included Halle Berry, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, Martin Sheen, Rupert Grint, Lance Bass, and athletes such as Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, and David Beckham.

The news was unveiled by HBO Max, which also happens to be the U.S. distributor of the Crave Original series starring Storrie and Williams as rival hockey players who go from on-ice enemies to off-ice lovers. The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S. and Europe, including in Italy and Germany for the first time.

Halle Berry carries the Olympic Torch on June 18, 2024 in Cannes, France.

Richard Bord/WireImage

Since its November debut, *Heated Rivalry* has evolved into a full-blown phenomenon, launching both actors into stardom as the show continues to take over the cultural zeitgeist.

Earlier this month, Williams made his late-night debut on the Jan. 7 episode of *The* *Tonight Show*, where his appearance sparked a frenzy that shocked veteran host Jimmy Fallon. Fans posted footage on social media showing throngs of fans gathering for an overnight wait, just for a chance to glimpse Williams on his way into the studio.

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While chatting with ** after the taping, Fallon called it "one of the hottest audiences we've ever had," saying that he'd "put it up there with BTS or Harry Styles. I mean, they went bonkers."

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Williams has since opened up about the difficulty of finding balance within their newfound fame, especially when it comes to the intense fan frenzy and a personal desire to maintain some "semblance of privacy."

"Although it feels good that people admire your work, it's— we can go to pockets of places I never thought we would be found and we're still pulled aside for a photo," the 24-year-old actor shared during his recent visit to Evan Ross Katz's *Shut Up Evan* podcast. "I can't possibly sign everyone's thing, talk to everyone, and I can't steal away 'cause then also there's an element of selfishness."

Referencing their meteoric rise to fame, he added, "It's hard to complain about because for a long time I've been a cliché of an actor, you know, struggling server, paycheck to paycheck, just desperate for any role, let alone a good one. I was just talking with one of my agents yesterday, and she said, Connor and I have had to learn what a lot of actors get in 5 years in like 30 days."**

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