The creator of Heated Rivalry is Canadian romance author Rachel Reid, who first wrote it as the second novel in her Game Changers hockey romance series.

Quick Scoop

  • Heated Rivalry began as a queer hockey romance novel written by Rachel Reid and published in 2019.
  • The later TV adaptation kept the same title and is credited as being created for television by Canadian writer-director Jacob Tierney, working from Reid’s book.

Book vs. TV Credits

  • For the original story and characters , the creator is Rachel Reid, whose novel established Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov and their enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
  • For the screen version , industry coverage and interviews describe Jacob Tierney as the series creator/showrunner adapting Reid’s work for TV.

Extra Context & “True Story” Angle

  • Reid has said she was inspired by real-life hockey rivalries, especially Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin, but did not directly base the characters on actual players.
  • So while real NHL dynamics helped shape the vibe of the rivalry, both the book and show are considered fictional works, not biographical dramas.

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