Concept:
Yuna Hollander is actually a member of the Japanese Imperial Family. For context, the Japanese Royal line is strictly male only so no women can inherit the throne and any females of the family who marry normal people, have to give up their titles. (Princess Mako famously did this in real life)
So what if Yuna was a Japanese princess?
She went to McGill as a foreign exchange student to study in a place where she could have a few years as a normal person before starting royal duties but fell for the handsome hockey player David while there. Since she is a woman, she isn't going to inherit and although she only has sisters, one of them can have a son to carry the bloodline so she decided to give up her place in the family to marry David and become a commoner.
She is perfectly happy with this outcome and makes a life for herself in Canada. She and David have Shane and although they did occasionally visit some members of her family when Shane was small so Shane could meet his granddad (who happens to be the Emperor), because she gave up her claim, Shane is also technically excluded from the throne and the visits were so low key that people outside Japan forgot she even existed.
Besides, they stopped visiting after a while because Shane's hockey career was taking off.
Unfortunately, the Japanese Imperial Family is facing a succession crisis due to the lack of males in the family line, and inside Japan, Shane is starting to look like a good candidate for the next Crown Prince.
Shane, and the wider Western World, have no idea about any of this. Ilya eventually learns and almost loses his mind.
(Anyone feel free to add to this)
Expanding on my own thoughts, so here we go.
Shane doesn't understand just how important his family is. Yuna is the oldest daughter of the Emperor but since she became a commoner to marry David, the media and people agreed to leave her alone and in Japan, that wish is respected so Yuna and Shane are not approached by the general public.
Obviously, she bought Shane to meet his family when he was a baby but with the commoner status, they couldn't take part in anything in any ceremonial capacity, so it was all just meetings in private, where everything was more normal. Still very formal but Shane, brought up in a western culture and only seeing this part of his Asian heritage, thinks its normal and he knows that his family was important but not that important.
Shane adores his grandfather and was spoilt rotten whenever he came to Japan and some people even referred to him as a Prince, but it was never taken seriously. Back in Canada, with his anglicized name and habits, it didn't even register to him that he was being treated differently. He is fluent in Japanese but since English and French are the languages of his home, he never paid attention to the honorifics being said to him when he was in Japan. It also helps that he has a Japanese name as well so many people don't connect the Japanese Royal with a white bread name like Shane. Yuna and David, while not keeping things from him, didn't advertise it as they didn't want Shane growing up with an ego or being resentful because he was not in the line to inherit.
As he grew, Shane stopped going to Japan often and although he talked to his Grandparents, aunts and cousins over the phone, he didn't see them in person anymore.
All plans to go back to Japan went out the window when he began preparing for the Prospect Cup, since he was balancing Schoolwork with the possibility of getting drafted (although he does remember one call with his grandfather who told him if Shane wanted to join the AIHL, he had contacts. It didn't occur to Shane at the time that it was odd his grandfather basically offered to get him into the Asian League)
After Shane got drafted, he did plan one trip during his rookie season but it fell apart before he could go. One of his aunts and his cousins came to Canada and America and he did plan to catch up with them but had to pull out due to being on the road for a game (He was a bit annoyed they didn't offer to change the date of their meeting, not realising that it was a state visit and those can't just be changed at random)
After that, a lot of his down time was taken up with growing his career and his friendships with Hayden and JJ (and later, with Ilya) He manages some video calls now since his grandfather is very tech savvy and his parents still go to Japan occasionally and when they do, they bring him back lavish gifts from his grandparents and aunts.
These gifts are so expensive that one time, he showed something he got to JJ and the Pikes and JJ asked if Shane was sure his grandfather wasn't in the Yakuza. It was a joke but Shane definitely put two and two together and got the completely wrong number. He remembered his grandfather's offer to get him into the AIHL and it gives Shane mixed feelings but he eventually decides plausible deniability is the best. If his family is involved in organise crime, he doesn't want to know. So he ignores it.
Things do get a little weird during the Sochi Olympics, especially when Canada vs. Japan. The Japanese players are very weird around Shane, especially when he introduces himself to them using his Japanese name (sans Title) as a gesture of good will, but Shane had chalked it up to the team being nervous to represent their country and if they insisted on bowing to him and avoiding eye contact, well, maybe his reputation as one of the best players managed to make it to Asia.
Sometimes he is approached in the streets of Montreal by Japanese tourists, but he just assumed they were fans of hockey, even if they acted confused when he offered them his autograph.
Eventually he and Ilya are outed and Shane calls his grandfather to tell him. His grandfather is upset and Shane thinks he will have to cut off contact but eventually, dear old granddad comes around (After Yuna has words with her father) What Shane doesn't know is none of his aunts had managed to produce a son meaning there is no heir for two generations and in Japan, there is a lot of talk about him. Some people want him placed back in the line of succession while others hate that he is a half white foreigner.
Even his grandfather is reassessing Shane's position in the family and him being gay is a possible problem. So his relationship with Ilya, even if he doesn't realise it, could be seen as an issue for the future. But his granddad is reasonable and doesn't want to destroy his relationship with Shane over something that might not happen. He even sends a really nice gift for the wedding.
After Shane and Ilya marry and he joins the Centaurs and they win their first Stanley Cup together, the MLH agrees to a Show Game against the AIHL. Since a Japanese team won the Asian League that year, they invited the Centaurs to Tokyo for a match between the two winning teams.
Shane hasn't seen his family in person since he was a kid, he decides he should visit while he is there. Ilya can come with him or join the rest of the Centaurs going to Disney after the game because Shane isn't certain Ilya would enjoy the formal, stuffy atmosphere he remembers from his childhood. Ilya is 1000% down to join Shane because he has also heard the Yakuza rumour from Hayden and Jackie. He is not letting Shane walk into that alone.
They travel to Japan and are surprised to learn the whole team is being housed in a grand hotel paid for by, they assume, the AIHL, and Shane and Ilya have been given the most expensive penthouse (Shane assumes they got the room because Ilya is the Captain and Shane is just there as a perc of being his husband and built in roommate)
Game day begins and the stadium is packed. It seems the whole of Tokyo came out to watch. (Shane doesn't know it but rumours the beloved Emperor's commoner grandson is playing has spread and everyone wants to see him. It's the only way they can satisfy their curiosity about him without breaching the unspoken rule to leave him alone) Shane just wants to show everyone his skills and then they can enjoy the impromptu holiday for a few days before Shane goes to visit his family.
He is surprised when it's announced to the Centaurs that the Emperor of Japan has come to watch the game.
He just about has a heart attack when he skates onto the ice and looks up to the Royal Box to see his grandfather, aunts and cousins sitting there, watching him.
And that's how Shane discovers he is a member of the oldest monarchy in existance.
Guessing this would happen, Yuna is very prepared for Shane's irate phone call and David has to talk Ilya down from a panic attack because he's been there and it's not that bad really. The in-laws are actually nice, if a little strict.
After Ilya recovers, he and the rest of the Centaurs have prime teasing material for Shane for not realising who his family is. They also have bragging rights because they have a legit Prince on their team and 'screw you, Metros, you threw away actual Royality'
(Also, Ilya manages to win over all of Shane's family during their later meeting and now brags that he is the favourite of the Emperor of Japan.)
