"The Cottage" is the sixth and final episode of the first season of the Canadian sports romance television series Heated Rivalry, created by Jacob Tierney and based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers novel series. Directed and written by Tierney, the episode was released on Crave on December 26, 2025.
The first season primarily adapts Heated Rivalry (2019), the second novel in the Game Changers series, which follows rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), whose on-ice animosity conceals a passionate, secret romantic relationship. In the episode, Shane and Ilya spend their summer at Shane's cottage, where they confront their fears about family, secrecy, and their future together. After they are caught by Shane's father, Shane comes out to his parents and openly acknowledges his relationship with Ilya.
"The Cottage" is the first episode of the series that does not feature any on-ice hockey scenes. The episode received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its writing and performances of Williams and Storrie, as well as its focus on queer joy, intimate character moments, and a romantic resolution that favored emotional payoff. Many critics also singled out Shane's conversation with his mother, a scene not present in the novel, as a necessary addition that strengthened the episode's emotional and narrative impact.
Plot Kip (Robbie G.K.) and his friends watch on television as Scott (François Arnaud) accepts the MLH Most Valuable Player Award. Scott makes a speech on his decision to come out of the closet, acknowledging Kip at the end of his speech.
Fast forward to July. Shane picks up Ilya from the airport and drives him to his cottage, where they plan to spend two weeks together in private. At the cottage, Shane and Ilya admit that neither has been with anyone else since they last saw each other months prior, and agree to be honest with one another during their time at the cottage.
As the days pass, Ilya opens up about his family, including the trauma surrounding his mother's suicide. Shane, in turn, speaks about his parents and his fear of coming out to them. Ilya encourages Shane to be truthful, while Shane reassures Ilya about his past relationship with Rose. Their growing closeness leads Ilya to suggest marrying Svetlana in order to secure American citizenship, but the idea visibly upsets Shane.
Shane later proposes a plan that would allow them to remain together while protecting their careers: reframing their rivalry as a friendship, launching a charity, and having Ilya pursue a transfer to a Canadian team, allowing him to live closer to Shane. Moved by Shane's commitment, the two finally confess their love for each other.
Their time at the cottage is interrupted when Shane's father David (Dylan Walsh) arrives unexpectedly to collect a phone charger. When David sees Shane and Ilya kissing, he immediately leaves. Shane becomes immediately distressed and worries about how his parents will react, but Ilya insists on supporting him and accompanies Shane to speak with his parents. Shane comes out to them and explains his relationship with Ilya, much to their shock. Shane's mother Yuna (Christina Chang) later apologizes for not creating a safe environment for him to come out sooner. Later, during a family meal, Shane has a minor panic attack and while comforting him, Ilya refers to himself as his boyfriend for the first time. They discuss their relationship and future plans with Shane's parents.
Afterwards, Shane and Ilya return to the cottage and plan a dinner with Shane's parents.
Production Development and writing The series was announced in January 2025 as a television adaptation of Heated Rivalry (2019), the second novel in Rachel Reid's Game Changers series, which follows rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov whose on-ice competition conceals a secret romantic relationship. Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady serve as executive producers, with Reid attached as a consulting producer. Tierney also acted as the sole writer for the first season.
Hudson Williams described the episode as emotionally challenging to read, stating that he approached the script without prior familiarity with the novel or knowledge of its ending. In an interview with Glamour, he recalled being surprised by several moments in the script, including Ilya's mention of potentially marrying Svetlana, which he said felt distressing when read from Shane's perspective. Williams also identified Shane's suggestion to start a mental health foundation as a meaningful moment, noting that the gesture reflects Shane's pragmatic way of expressing care rather than a conscious attempt at emotional vulnerability.
In a separate interview with Variety, Williams discussed the scene in which Shane and Ilya exchange "I love you" for the first time. He explained that although Shane does not say the words first, the character's actions throughout the episode, particularly his long-term thinking about their future, function as an implicit declaration of love. Williams noted that this behavioral shift was intentional and emphasized that Shane's actions help create the emotional space for Ilya to articulate his feelings aloud.
Connor Storrie addressed the scene in which Ilya speaks about his mother's death by suicide, describing it as foundational to his portrayal of the character. In an interview with W Magazine, Storrie stated that Ilya's unresolved grief and the family's refusal to openly address the loss informed his performance throughout the series, particularly in moments of emotional restraint and conflict.
Differences from the source material The episode introduces an original scene between Shane and his mother Yuna that does not appear in the novel. Following Shane's coming out, the two speak privately outside the cottage, where Shane expresses guilt and fear that he has disappointed her. Yuna immediately apologizes for not making him feel safe enough to come out to her sooner. Tierney stated that the scene was added because Shane and Yuna share similarly internalized emotional struggles, and he felt it was important for them to have a moment alone, both to acknowledge what had occurred and to establish Yuna's significance in future storylines. Tierney also revealed that the scene was rewritten multiple times during filming and ultimately pared down to its simplest emotional core, which he identified as Shane's admission that he "really tried." Williams later described the scene as particularly personal, noting that it resonated with his own experiences growing up in an Asian family and that Yuna's response provided a cathartic emotional release he had not initially expected while filming. Christina Chang, who portrays Yuna, similarly recalled that reading the scene was emotionally affecting and continued to move her throughout production.
The finale also omits the novel's epilogue, which depicts Shane and Ilya holding a joint press conference to announce a charitable foundation, Shane's teammate Hayden learning of their relationship, Shane coming out publicly to his team, and Ilya joining the Ottawa Centaurs. Tierney explained that the decision was made to preserve the emotional resolution of the story rather than extend it with additional narrative information, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding a potential second season at the time. Instead, the episode concludes shortly after Shane and Ilya leave Shane's parents' cottage, returning together to Shane's own cottage, ending the series on a note of intimacy and contentment rather than public disclosure.
Casting "The Cottage" stars Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov, François Arnaud as Scott Hunter, Robbie G.K. as Christopher "Kip" Grady, Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh as Shane's parents Yuna and David Hollander, and Nadine Bhabha as Kip's friend Elena Rygg. The supporting cast includes Bianca Nugara as Maria Villanueva, Brandon Ash-Mohammed as Shawn, and Matthew Finlan as Kyle Swift. Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova and Sophie Nélisse are credited as starring but do not appear in the episode.
Filming
Principal photography for the first season began in April 2025 and lasted approximately 36 to 37 days. Filming was conducted out of order, with Tierney directing all six episodes.
Filming for the episode took place across several locations in Ontario. The opening scene featuring Scott Hunter's MVP speech was filmed at the FirstOntario Concert Hall, which had previously been used for the Los Angeles party sequence after the MLH draft in the first episode and the MLH Awards ceremony in the second episode. All scenes set at Shane's cottage were filmed in Muskoka Lakes, using a private residence designed by Toronto-based architect Trevor McIvor.
Tierney stated that selecting the cottage location was a lengthy process that required balancing logistical considerations with character authenticity. He ultimately chose the Muskoka property despite it being smaller than initially envisioned, explaining that its scale felt appropriate for Shane's character and personal life.
The episode features several extended single-take shots, including Shane and Ilya's arrival at the cottage and the moment following Shane's father witnessing them kissing. Scenes at the cottage were filmed during the final two days of production, with the last scene shot being Shane and Ilya's conversation by the fire. Williams described it as "a beautiful place to end." In contrast, the driving sequence leading to the cottage was filmed within the first three weeks of the shoot.
Tierney revealed that a moment during an intimate scene involving Shane and Ilya on the couch included an improvised physical gesture by Storrie that was retained in the final cut. Tierney explained that the unscripted choice reflected the evolving comfort and playfulness of the characters' relationship and contributed to the scene's authenticity and tonal variety. Williams later recalled that the improvisation emerged organically during rehearsal and was approved by both Tierney and intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter, noting that it helped convey the characters' growing ease with one another.
A key dialogue scene between Shane and Ilya at the cottage when Ilya proposes the idea of marrying Svetlana was reshot after a rainstorm disrupted sound recording due to the house's glass-heavy structure. Similarly, Shane's private conversation with his mother was filmed over two days after weather interruptions prompted Tierney to substantially rewrite the scene. Williams stated that the revised version clarified the emotional intent and aligned more closely with Tierney's vision of parental support and generational change.
The final shot of Shane and Ilya driving back to Shane's cottage was filmed multiple times to adjust its tone. Initial takes were more somber, but Tierney encouraged the actors to emphasize lightness and intimacy, reflecting the episode's resolution. The final version incorporates a brief, playful exchange between the characters, which Tierney retained to underscore Shane's emotional openness and the tentative optimism of their relationship moving forward.
Closing credits sequence Unlike previous episodes, which end on a black screen, the episode features a distinct closing credits sequence that plays over a continuous shot of Shane and Ilya driving back to Shane's cottage. Accompanied solely by the closing track, the scene lingers on the characters as they sit together during golden hour.