[ilyasmole]

ilya's bisexuality really is such a vital part of his character and his identity and i Do get a little bothered when people (usually normies/straight people) just refer to him as gay bc he's in love with a man....but that's just my personal feelings as a #bi person

[ilyasmole]

ACTUALLY i'm adding onto this bc there's something i always notice in ep 6 that i wanna talk abt briefly, and that's yuna & david's faces when shane says "ilya likes both" - especially yuna

there's concern there. it's obvious. and it's SO common when it comes to bisexuality bc there's this huge and annoying misconception that bisexual people are unfaithful unloyal cheaters. and you can see it in her face as she processes the information that this is an immediate concern for her and for her son.

and now let's look at ilya's face

now he's concerned, because he knows he has to explain himself (which he does. he shouldn't have to but he does) and he's basically throwing out a hail mary to shane's parents that says hey, wait, no, i'm not gonna cheat on your son. i love your son. just because i'm bisexual doesn't mean i would hurt shane.

and this is something bisexual people deal with all the time btw. not just from straight people, not just from gen x & boomers, but from our own community too. it's incredibly exhausting. anyway i just notice this every time it makes my heart hurt a bit for ilya.

[gaynehollander]

I'm actually not done talking about Shane playing Never Have I Ever. On several occasions one of the Centaurs says something Shane's never heard of before, and when he asks what it is Ilya shakes his head and says, "just drink."

[rozanovs]

for the next two weeks, let's just be honest with each other about what we actually think and maybe how we really feel? i will try.

↳ heated rivalry week 2026, day three: favourite kiss/hug

[slutstrandbuddie]

Heated Rivalry Week Day 2: Favourite Outfit/Look

[themetros]

Shane Week Day Two Favorite Look: In the Hospital

Heated Rivalry (2025-)

[bigriceenthusiast]

imo a huge thing in the hayden discourse is the fact that a lot of us in the fandom are literally Homotron 3000 (myself included) and that really skews our perspective

like yes downright bigotry is never okay i am not defending that but the whole reason these characters are interesting is because they have to navigate queerness and unpack their internalized toxicity in a space where, for all intents and purposes, they're The First Gay Person Ever

the expert always overestimates what's common knowledge or however it goes

[bigriceenthusiast]

or something

[gurlsrool]

happy pride, I’m haunted by the fact that I’ve seen multiple people say they’re glad Shane’s sex condo was cut from the show because it made them feel “icky” and like “Ilya was Shane’s dirty little secret”. I do have to question what some people think this series is even about

[whatthebodygraspsnot]

He had achieved the thing he had worked his whole life toward. He wasn't sulking. He was just...bothered. By something.

[lavendersaysbye]

Hey saw some discussions on here about Shane or Ilya playing wing for each other. And I wanted to add my own two cents to it as a massive irl hockey fan.

Winger isn't necessarily an easier or less prestigious position than center. It just all comes down to team dynamics and what the team needs. Alexander Ovechkin (arguebly one of best players of his generation and the guy Ilya is based on) plays winger. It really isn't a "lesser" position by defenition. Lots of generational/elite players are wingers. Most centres (not all depends on the person and the playstyle) can make the switch if needed to play winger (Though switching from winger to centre is generally seen as harder) It's NOT an demotion. It's more so what your used to doing on the ice/where your strong suits lie, and what the team needs.

And something else to consider as much as I love the idea of husband line as a concept (also fun fact there is an irl version of this called wife line in the phwl) i do think that if i were the coach of ottawa and I had THE two star centres on my team i would put them on differnt lines as 1a and 2a centers because that would be WAY more effective and dangerous. Because that way you have two lines that are both deadly instead of one, which means you can spread out the pressure and play them more and have more ice time, instead of having all your best players on one line. You see this irl aswell with Mcdavid and Draisatill and my personal favorite Crosby and Malkin(in his prime). All these men are or were star centres and most of the time they are not on the same line.

(The difference with irl wife line is that Stacey has always played winger and MPP has always played centre so their positions lend themselves better to playing on the same line) And then when the game asks for it you could switch it up if you want some extra pressure or during the powerplay/penalty kill (then the units are different anyway.) Though you do see elite star centres switch to play winger but it is mostly a one off thing for a tournament. Most recent example I can think of is Crosby playing winger for Celebrini during worlds

So sory for the random hockey yap but hope this gives you all some context!

[softgnome]

Personally I do think that sometimes non-hockey fans can end up mischaracterizing Shane and Ilya because they don't know enough about hockey/hockey playstyles

The Ilya we see in Heated rivalry would not be throwing the first punch, he's not an enforcer. Ilya is a star center and a Pest. He wouldn't be doing his job correctly if he was punching players every other game, it would end up with not enough ice time to let him be the playmaker he's paid to be.

But being a pest can be playmaking! Find a player to bait, emotionally push them just enough that they try to fight you, and then get the fuck out of there before the ref gives you both penalties. This gets your team the power play. There is probably someone on Ilya's line dedicated to helping him get out of the fights he starts, and finishing them for him!

I also think this is also something that Shane would respect. Ilya is good at it and it's a good strategy for his team. I don't think Shane would see it as some dirty tactic, because Shane probably thinks everyone with a brain can see it for what it is! He probably thinks everyone should be able to see that being an asshole is a tactic for Ilya, that it's something to ignore and not fall for, that it's a strategy and not personal beef.

I think Shane's more disappointed when a Metro falls for it. Shane sees it as Ilya set up a Looney Toons ass obvious trap and one of his teammates ran into it. Why be mad at Bugs Bunny when you can be mad at your defenceman for falling for a fucking Bugs Bunny trap.

[academicblorbo]

"Ilya is the bad guy" "Shane is the bad guy" folks the only villain in the show is the fuckass bartender who told Shane he "can have whatever he wants" and then judged him for asking for ginger ale

disgusting

[spicyvampire]

HEATED RIVALRY (2025-) WEEK: Day 2 — Favorite Outfit/Look → Whatever is getting taken off of Shane

[heymacy]

HEATED RIVALRY WEEK 2026 DAY TWO: Favorite (Ilya) Outfit/Look -> Costume Design by Hanna Puley

[heatedrivalrysource]

Jonah De Simone, Hudson's hockey double, answered a fan question on Threads.

"What is the reason Shane pours water on the ice after drinking from his bottle?"

[ivy-masonry]

Scenes I Appreciated in Heated Rivalry That Nobody Mentioned Yet (that I've seen)

• Shane initiating the 2 handshakes in their introduction scene, followed by Ilya touching Shane's hand twice in the gym scene. I might be reading too much into it, but it's a satisfying little parallel as if Ilya is knowingly showing that he clocked Shane's awkward gay ass and trying to show how obvious he was through mimicking it in his own way

• In the room 1221, Shane quickly takes his shoes off before jumping Ilya. 10/10, on brand, I need more of whatever the hell that was

• Ilya saying "Hollander" in the first episode on the balcony after saying "see you next season" vs Ilya saying "Hollander" with the same expression (though more pronounced this time) in the tuna melt scene. Same damn face just more defined, same tone. I am dead. This guy has been down bad for so long. My bro is a chaser but he forgets Shane is one of the fastest players in the league

• That Scene Where They Spend Time With Their Respective Dads. Ilya is shown taking care of his dad and juggling whatever is going on on the phone, looking angry and stressed out, while his dad looks confused and lost. Shane and David having a calm and engaging discussion, bonding and looking equally relaxed and happy. We don't talk about it enough!

[celestialblueboy]

Fuck this noise about ‘Team Mom’ Shane. That man is an airport dad. His hobbies include reading biographies and investing in real estate. His car is reliable in the snow. He built his own cottage and is really excited to tell you about the well. He grills. His idea of fun is staring at a fire. He will lecture you about smoking. He hired a stylist because he doesn’t care about clothes. He must know the itinerary ahead of time. He folds his clothes before sex. The white socks stay ON so his bare feet don’t touch the hotel floor.

Look me in my eyes and tell me he wasn’t waiting for Ilya in that airport parking lot at least 3 hours before his expected arrival time. Airport Dad Shane is my truth.

[smokey-ilya]

the way i know every worksheet shane did in middle school was addressed like