Connor Storrie shaves it all off and Heated Rivalry fans are losing it

TV’s most polarizing fan base is back, and they won’t let you forget it.

Earlier this month, beloved queer hockey romance drama Heated Rivalry went into production on its second season. While we’ll have to wait until next spring until we see our beloved Shane and Ilya on-screen again, eagle-eyed fans have caught leaks from the set of season 2. 

According to a report from Los Angeles Times, the upcoming season will cover the sixth book of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. The book takes place a few years after Ilya (Connor Storrie) and Shane (Hudson Williams) visit the latter’s family cottage, and confess their love for each other to Shane’s family. As one can imagine, people’s appearances tend to change as the years go by. But some Heated Rivalry fans aren’t having it.

In early photos shared from set, Storrie is seen with a newly buzzed ‘do. This new look has sent fans into a frenzy.

How about we take this to the next level?

Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

“Goodbye, you were bigger than the whole sky,” wrote one fan on Threads, referencing Taylor Swift’s Midnights cut “Bigger Than the Whole Sky.”

Geeze Louise, you would thing the guy died or something.

Soon after the aforementioned post, other fans roasted OP in the comments.

“This post should put you on a watch list,” wrote one person. “Seriously unhinged. No more Heated Rivalry for you.”

Several other people have come to Storrie’s defense, including one fan, who wrote “no matter what his hair looks like that man is going to make Ilya amazing. And if you think its going to ruin everything for you, maybe step away from the internet and go find something else to do.” Unfortunately, some of the other fans are still struggling to cope.

A fan wrote in reply, saying “People are allowed to be upset that a foundational physical characteristic of a character is gone with no warning.”

Some fans on X (formerly Twitter) are also having a tough time accepting Storrie’s new haircut, with one person implying that they’re casting a spell for his hair to grow back in the next few months.

Other fans are struggling to understand that Storrie and Ilya are two different people. 

“people saying connor looks good with the buzz cut like DUH he’s connor storrie sexiest man alive ofc he looks great but it’s ilya’s hair that we’re mourning,” wrote one person. 

Since before Heated Rivalry went into production on its second season, there has been much discourse surrounding the show and its cast. Upon the announcement of Justice Smith playing Harris Dover, some fans expressed disappointed, given Smith’s lean physique, and the fact that Harris is described as a more heavy-set fellow in the books.

On Tuesday, Aug. 25, more casting was announced, with Daniel Diemer set to play Ryan Price, and Shaheen Jafargholi to play Fabian Salah. Some fans have already expressed disappointment with the latter’s casting, due to the fact that Fabian is written as Lebanese in the book, and Jafargholi is of Iranian descent.

While some gripes are more understandable than others, Heated Rivalry fans know how to keep the conversations going. At this rate, Season 2 will arrive in no time.

Heated Rivalry’s second season is expected to premiere on HBO Max and Crave in April 2027.

Related

The Heated Rivalry special edition box set is real, which means you can own Shane’s bottom eyes forever
Prepare to shell out your last $30 on this gem.

Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.