Shane Hollander’s Iconic ‘Heated Rivalry’ Fleece Is Becoming Real and Staying Canadian

What started as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it costume moment has turned into one of the most coveted pieces of TV fashion in recent memory.

Fans of Heated Rivalry, the buzzy Canadian series about two rival hockey players whose on-ice tension gives way to romance, have spent weeks obsessing over Shane Hollander’s fluffy white Team Canada fleece. Now, that fixation is officially paying off. The jacket, simply dubbed The Fleece, is being produced through a collaboration between Toronto-based apparel label Province of Canada and Accent Aigu Entertainment, the production company behind the series.

The announcement came in true fandom-savvy fashion. A brief four-word statement shared online, “We’re releasing the fleece,” was all it took to ignite social feeds. No teaser trailer. No countdown clock. Just instant recognition from viewers who knew exactly what was being promised. A Costume That Outpaced the Merch

Even before Heated Rivalry premiered in late November, official merchandise had already begun circulating, including cheeky jerseys tied to the fictional MLH (Major League Hockey) teams. Yet none of those items stirred the same response as the fleece Shane wears during scenes set at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The design itself is straightforward: a white fleece jacket with red maple leaves running down the sleeves and “Canada” stamped across the back in collegiate lettering. Still, fans latched onto it immediately. A petition calling for an official release has since gathered more than 6,000 signatures, while others took matters into their own hands by creating DIY versions or hunting down similar styles from Olympic-adjacent brands preparing for Milan and Cortina. How the Collaboration Came Together

Province of Canada’s involvement wasn’t part of a long-term rollout, it started as a well-timed raise of the hand.

“We noticed the conversation happening online around The Fleece, so we shared a post as a way of raising our hand on the chance the Heated Rivalry team was still looking for a partner,” Province of Canada co-founder Jeremy Watt tells GQ over email. “We had also sent a DM to Hanna [Puley], the show’s costume designer, on Instagram to let her know we were happy to help if needed.”

Puley, who created the original fleece for the series, passed Watt’s information along to co-creator Brendan Brady. Brady was already familiar with the brand, which manufactures all of its products entirely within Canada. A conversation quickly followed.

“It quickly became clear that we were aligned on what this project could be,” says Watt, noting that working with a Canadian company was a priority for the show’s creators. What Fans Can Expect

While an official release date and price have yet to be announced, Province of Canada has confirmed that 10 percent of proceeds from The Fleece will be donated to an LGBTQ+ charity, with details to be revealed later. Teaser images on the brand’s website suggest the final product will closely mirror the on-screen original, a detail likely to matter deeply to devoted fans.

Puley has her own theory about why the jacket struck such a chord.

“There’s something actually about the simplicity of the design that makes it feel really accessible to pretty much anyone,” she said in a recent interview with CBC. “It’s really gender-neutral. It’s not super fashion forward. It feels very cozy and wearable and just very Canadian.”

For a show built on chemistry, tension, and intimacy, it’s fitting that its most beloved fashion item is rooted in comfort, and now, community.

Source