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‘I am unwell!’: Heated Rivalry’s heartwarming finale leaves fans emotionally wrecked

WORDS BY JORDAN ROBLEDO

26th December 2025

The Heated Rivalry season finale has left fans (including us) inconsolable.

After five weeks of yearning, passionate trysts, and heartbreaking moments, we were finally treated to the last episode of the gay hockey romance drama on 26 December.

Titled ‘The Cottage,’ the episode kicks off after the exciting events of episode five, in which Scott (François Arnaud) comes out to the world by kissing Kip at the MLH Cup, and Ilya agrees to go on Shane’s romantic getaway.

Before diving into Shane and Ilya’s cottage adventure, we see Scott accept the ‘Most Valuable Player Award’ at the MLH Awards and deliver a heartwarming speech about embracing his sexuality and relationship.

The episode then cuts to Shane picking up Ilya at the airport. During their drive, Shane assures Ilya that the woodland cottage is private, adding that his parents won’t bother them because he lied about attending a silent retreat.

After their scenic journey, the pair arrived at the luxurious cottage, prompting Shane to give Ilya an in-depth tour, which, of course, ended with the two having sex.

As the trip progresses, Shane and Ilya get to know each other on a deeper level, with the former opening up about his parents and the latter revealing the tragic death of his mother.

In addition to discussing family, the two lovebirds address the elephant in the room: their professional and personal futures.

While playing football in the yard, Ilya reveals that he’ll be a free agent next season, adding that he’s considering signing with a Canadian team and that his goal is to no longer hold a Russian passport.

Later that day, Ilya throws out the idea of marrying Svetlana (Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova) since she’s American. While Shane was clearly upset over the idea, he went on to ask Ilya why he wouldn’t just marry another girl he actually has romantic feelings for.

Ilya went on to reveal that he couldn’t do that because of a specific problem: his feelings for Shane.

While in bed, the two revisit the subject, with Shane suggesting that Ilya sign with Ottawa, since it’s not far from Montreal, and they start a charity together to change the narrative of their public-facing relationship.

Shane went on to add that over time, Ilya can apply for citizenship in Canada, and one day, after they retire, they could be togther for real.

Overcome with emotion, Ilya begins to cry before declaring his love for Shane, who echoes the same sentiment.

Unfortunately, the duo’s romantic getaway takes a dramatic turn the following afternoon when Shane’s dad, David (Dylan Walsh), catches them kissing.

After having a proper freakout, the couple drives to Shane’s parents’ house to come clean about their relationship and sexualities.

Fortunately, the episode ends with Yuna (Christina Chang) and David not only embracing Shane and Ilya’s relationship but also scheduling a time to come over for dinner.

To no surprise, the heartwarming and incredibly sweet Heated Rivalry finale has been a massive hit with fans on social media.

One X/Twitter user lauded Shane’s emotional coming out conversation with his mother, writing: “This scene means everything to me >>>.”

Another fan credited the episode for revitalising their love for the romance genre, tweeting: “Lately I started ‘hating‘ any romance media, but I’ve had a deep realisation after watching heated rivalry, I don’t hate the romance genre, it’s just that no one was making it like this all these years. Hands down the best one.“

A third Heated Rivalry fan added: “After this (Stunning) #HeatedRivalry finale, I’m actually convinced there needs to be a new TV awards category for Best Duo Performance. That was literal perfection from two formerly unknown actors.“

While season one has come to an end, our Heated Rivalry era is just beginning. Earlier this month, the show was officially renewed for a second season.

Shortly after the news was announced, the creator and writer, Jacob Tierney, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about what fans can expect from season two, which will be based on The Long Game.

“We’re following Shane and Ilya. That’s not gonna be a shock. There’s certainly a possibility we’ll have additional resources, and we can do some things that we would want to do,“ he told the news outlet.

Check out more fan reactions to the Heated Rivalry season one finale below.

For more Heated Rivalry content, click here. 

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