Hockey’s steamiest love story is about to hit a brand new high as Heated Rivalry’s fourth episode “Rose” drops on December 12, and fans already can’t stop talking about one very intimate photo from the hour.
The new still shows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov tangled up together in bed, looking soft, wrecked, and totally gone for each other in that way only this show seems to capture.

It is exactly the kind of image that reminds everyone that beneath all the trash talk and on-ice drama, these two are absolutely obsessed with each other.
According to the official episode synopsis, “Rose” follows Shane thriving in his game and career while Ilya is back to his old antics on and off the ice, setting the stage for some gloriously messy feelings.
After a night together, Ilya finally lets his guard down and shows just how vulnerable he is with Shane, which sends our usually composed golden boy into a full-on panic.
To make things even juicier, Shane’s budding relationship with a movie star only adds fuel to the fire and intensifies the turmoil between them, because nothing says “coping badly” like a rebound with a glamorous celebrity.

That viral bedroom shot perfectly bottles all of this chaos, catching the boys in a rare unguarded moment where rivalry, desire, and fear are all written across their faces.
Behind the scenes, stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie have clearly settled into their characters’ dynamic, and every new still or clip just shows more chemistry, more trust, and more of that aching softness fans fell in love with in the books.
We will also be getting some extra behind-the-scenes photos of Ilya and Shane from the episode, giving us a peek at how those intense scenes came together when the cameras weren’t rolling.
For readers of Rachel Reid’s novel, “Rose” is a big emotional turning point, and it looks like the series is leaning all the way into that mix of romance, self-sabotage, and “it’s always been you” energy.
For newcomers, this is the episode where you really see how impossible it is for these two to go back to being just rivals once they’ve had a taste of something real.
What makes this all so delicious is that Heated Rivalry never forgets the stakes of being queer in pro sports, even when it’s serving steamy bedroom scenes and viral thirst traps.
Shane is trying to be the perfect franchise player, Ilya is clinging to his bad-boy armor, and the show keeps asking how long they can keep choosing the game over their own hearts.
Episode 4 looks ready to push that question harder than ever, with the bedroom picture acting like a forbidden snapshot of the life they could have if they were brave enough to claim it.
So mark December 12 in your calendar, because “Rose” is shaping up to be the episode where the walls crack, the secrets get heavier, and the boys finally face just how in love they really are.
In the meantime, enjoy the viral photo, keep an eye out for all the extra BTS pics of Hudson and Connor, and prepare yourself for a whole new wave of Heated Rivalry obsession.
📷 IG: @ cravecanada / hbomax







