When the Olympic flame makes its way through Italy ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Games, two of television’s most talked-about new stars will be carrying it.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the breakout leads of HBO Max’s steamy hockey drama ‘Heated Rivalry,’ have been selected as official torchbearers for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The announcement, made Thursday by the streaming platform, marks another surreal milestone in what has quickly become a whirlwind rise for the young actors and the series that turned them into overnight sensations.
“HBO Max today announced that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, stars of the Crave Original series HEATED RIVALRY, have been selected to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay as official torchbearers for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026,” the company said in a statement.
The exact moment when Williams and Storrie will carry the torch has not yet been revealed. The flame began its journey on Nov. 26 and will conclude at the opening ceremony in Milan on Feb. 6, with more than 10,000 torchbearers participating along the way.
As of this week, the torch has been traveling through northeastern Italy, including stops in Venice and Trieste, before continuing on toward Milan.
© sabrina lantosFor fans of Heated Rivalry, the Olympic connection feels especially fitting. The series, adapted from Rachel Reid’s beloved Game Changers novels, centers on rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Williams and Storrie.
The two closeted stars carry on a years-long secret romance while competing at the highest levels of the sport, including international play in the show’s fictionalized version of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
That blend of elite hockey and emotional intensity has helped turn ‘Heated Rivalry’ into one of the 2025 to 2026 television season’s most unexpected hits.
© Getty Images for Moët & ChandonOriginally airing on Canadian streamer Crave, the show exploded in popularity after HBO Max acquired U.S. rights in late November. Almost overnight, the once under-the-radar drama became a cultural talking point, praised for its chemistry, tenderness, and unapologetic queerness.
The Olympic torch relay is only the latest headline in a dizzying stretch for the two actors. Since the show’s U.S. debut in November, Williams and Storrie have been fixtures on late-night television, morning shows and red carpets.
Hudson Williams, 24, has been candid about how quickly life changed after Heated Rivalry broke through. On the Jan. 20 episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast, he reflected on the sudden shift from struggling actor to international visibility.
“For a long time, I’ve been a cliché of an actor, struggling server, paycheck-to-paycheck, just desperate for any role, let alone a good one,” he said. “I was just talking with one of my agents yesterday and she said that Connor and I have had to learn what a lot of actors get in five years in like 30 days.”
© HBOThe rapid ascent has required a crash course in navigating fame. “The 24-year-old emphasized that he’s had to ‘learn quick and try to build a sense of direction,’” he added during the conversation.
Storrie, 25, has echoed that sense of gratitude mixed with disbelief. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in December, he acknowledged the pressures that come with newfound attention while insisting he feels grounded.
“I feel really honored and blessed,” he said. “I think being from this day and age, I’m very aware of the presence of social media. I’m aware of how connected you are to the people who are watching it, so that’s prepared me to really engage with people. I feel good. My head hasn’t exploded yet, so we’re doing good.”
© GettyImagesWith Crave renewing ‘Heated Rivalry’ for a second season and HBO Max confirming it will continue to air the series in the U.S., the momentum shows no signs of slowing.
Season two is expected to begin filming as early as this summer, and author Rachel Reid has announced a new Game Changers novel, Unrivaled, which will continue Shane and Ilya’s story.
Now, with the Olympic flame in their future, Williams and Storrie are quite literally stepping into a global spotlight. For two actors whose breakout roles were defined by secrecy and longing, carrying a symbol of unity and visibility feels like a full-circle moment, one that mirrors the improbable journey of ‘Heated Rivalry’ itself.
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