Oh my god, have you seen the news? It is literally so wild how fast everything is moving for the Heated Rivalry boys. I was just reading that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie—aka our favorite hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov—have officially been named torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina!
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| (Photo Credit: elle_nl) Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie Named 2026 Olympic Torchbearers! |
I’m still screaming. Like, they went from waiting tables (shoutout to Hudson’s Old Spaghetti Factory roots lol) to carrying the actual Olympic flame in Italy. Here is the full breakdown of what’s happening, because there is a lot to process.
The Big Announcement
So, HBO Max (who owns the rights now) dropped the news this past Thursday. Even though the show only premiered back in late November, it’s already become this massive global phenomenon. It makes total sense that the Olympic committee wants them involved, especially since the show is literally about elite hockey players.
When: The relay is happening right now, but they’ll be carrying the torch sometime before the Opening Ceremony on February 6, 2026.
Where: It’s all going down in Italy. The ceremony is being held at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, which is going to be iconic.
Why them?: Besides being the "it" boys of the moment, their characters actually played in the Sochi Olympics in the books/show, so it’s like a weirdly perfect full-circle moment.
The "Heated Rivalry" of It All
If you haven't watched the show yet (um, what are you doing??), Hudson plays Shane Hollander, the Golden Boy of Canadian hockey, and Connor plays Ilya Rozanov, the "Russian Tank" who everyone loves to hate.
The chemistry between these two is actually insane. They were just at the Golden Globes earlier this month presenting an award, and the internet basically melted because they couldn't stop leaning into each other. People are even comparing them to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo with how much they're doing for the "press tour" bond.
Fun (and Slightly Messy) Facts
Hudson’s Runway Debut: Hudson literally just walked the runway for Dsquared2 in Milan like a week ago. He looked so good in the ski-themed outfit, which I guess was a hint about the Olympics thing!
The B.C. Beef: There’s a hilarious "war" happening on social media right now between B.C. cities. Kamloops, Kelowna, and Vancouver are all fighting over who "owns" Hudson.
Season 2 & 3: We already know Season 2 is coming (adapting The Long Game), but rumors are swirling that they’ve already signed on for a third season.
Note: Just a heads up, the relay involves like 10,000 people, so they aren't the only ones, but they’re definitely the ones everyone is going to be camping out to see.
It's honestly so cool to see a queer sports drama get this much mainstream love. I really hope they get to carry the torch together—can you imagine the photos?
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