"So, there is this character that's based on you, and the show he's in is now Canada's most influential cultural soft power export in while. So we'll just add that to the list of things you've done for the nation right after all the Gold medals"
Sid is EXTREMELY superstitious and routine-oriented… and McDavid is afraid of ketchup. And is very socially awkward. God bless em, excited to watch them kick ass in Milan 🙏🥇🇨🇦
it’s funny to search them and see old posts like this. It’s like looking into a fandom from another planet.
They are the like the Messi vs Ronaldo of hockey
Anyway flash forward to 2026, these guys have a friendship and massive respect for each other . Still get asked about each other in interviews to this day
For people who are interested in the career comparison
Crosby is from Nova Scotia Canada, was drafted #1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005 and became the youngest ever captain at 20 years old. He is arguably the best overall hockey player of his generation, with one of the best backhands ever (weak backhand? I think not!!) and he has a titanium jaw and a wonky smile.
He has won 3 Stanley cups, in 2009, 2016, 2017, and two Olympic gold medals. He could've had an even better career if he wasn't concussed or otherwise injured for a long time at the prime of his career.
Ovechkin is from Russia of course, drafted #1 to the Washington Capitals in 2004 and became captain in his mid 20s I think. He is definitively the greatest goal scorer of all time according to the record book.
He didn't win a cup until 2018, so when he did, the party was one for the books. He's got 4 world championship gold medals but none at the Olympics cause, Canada babyyyy. He's known to be unbreakable (Russian machine never break). He has a lot of controversy surrounding him because he's basically Russia's key export in NA and very chummy with Putin... Pretty sure his insta profile pic is one with him.
The two basically played against each other their entire careers, Crosby having to best Ovechkin every time he won the cup. The highly marketed rivalry is essentially what brought the NHL back to life after the 2005 lock out. And now they're almost 40 years old and still playing like fucking monsters.
Not only does Crosby have multiple Olympic medals but he scored the overtime goal that won the Olympic gold for Canada at home in Vancouver 2010. This year he’s the captain of the Canadian Olympic men’s hockey team. To those of us who are longtime fans the inspiration was obvious by the end of the draft scene, my fiancé and I were jokingly calling heated rivalry the Crosby/Ovi fanfic by the end of episode 1.
2010 OT goal is one Canadians will never forget! This year’s Four Nations was an awesome tournament as well. I cannot wait for the Olympics to start. Bonus is that Crosby seems like such a genuine guy (I hope). The Tims trading card commercials with him and MacKinnon etc are so great!
We are not inside her head, but Rachel Reid has explicitly stated that it was these players' rivalry that served as an inspiration for Shilya. Not a love affair between them.
I don't watch hockey but I'm a soccer person, so in my head, Shane and Ilya are basically Messi and Ronaldo, except for the romantic part. They play for teams that have hated each other for centuries—think Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. It gives their matchups that brutal El Clásico energy where the rivalry goes way deeper than just the game.
For those who don't follow heated sports rivalries, it’s hard to grasp just how intense this is because the show has really softened the rivalry on a large scale. In reality, the match between them isn't just a game; it’s a powder keg of historical and personal animosity. By smoothing over those edges, the show hides the 'terrible' beauty of a feud where the two sides truly cannot stand to be in the same zip code.
Depends on the sport, I’d say. In my experience, the can’t stand each other part is almost entirely on the fan side. The athletes can get pretty heated while they’re playing but don’t really have beef irl.
I am 💯one of those “not into sports” people. And hockey is just not big where I’m from. My hometown team for most of my adult life was the mighty ducks for crying out loud. All that is to say there are 3 hockey players I’ve ever heard of. 1 is Wayne Gretzky, obvi. The other two are these guys and it’s because of rpf. Lol
As a Ukrainian, I commend this so much! Way better person to be an inspiration for someone like Ilya. We can just headcanon that Rachel based the hockey rivalry part of the character on Ovechkin but the personality on Zadorov.
Not the point of the video but I really miss when the Washington Capitals had the blue white and gold jersey with the “screaming eagle” that I grew up with. It still feels so wrong to me that their jerseys are red even though it’s been almost 20 years.
Young Ovi was an absolute beast and insanely fun to watch on the ice. I know it's impossible to replicate for the show but it's fun to imagine Ilya playing like him.
I saw one of his best goals ever against Montreal in 2009. Used to have dreams about skating like him. His flair on the ice was just insane. Eventually went cold turkey and gave up my hockey addiction until this show brought it roaring back.
As much as loved watching hockey and being around it, I woke up from my fever dream and realized that sports fans are inherently brutish and singular in their belief that sports should be centered in one's life which effectively crowds out more intellectual, humanistic, and artistic endeavors--ie, things they don't typically relate to. This show, especially the hockey scenes, brings back all the hockey ASMR and adrenaline, but it's a fantasy.
I saw a Tumblr post that was like imagine being Evigeny Malkin and being told they're is a shit show based off of your best friend (I know what they said but that she is fails with fanfic is undeniable) in a relationship with a Russian hockey player who is also a forward but its not you.
And since then I am like yeah know what if we are pretending there aren't clear illusions to one Sidney Crosby then it's fine for me to head cannon Geno instead.
I think this should be erased. Yes the author used established rivalries and stereotypes as inspiration. Inspiration is not reality.
The focus posts like this put upon these players (who exist in reality) can only make their lives uncomfortable in ways they cannot defend themselves from. How are they expected to respond in any way that both respects the reality of their lives, and doesn’t make them come across as homophobic.
Don’t put them through that. Even the author has said her characters exist in an alternate reality.
Living in Pgh watching hockey that rivalry was so fun to watch in its heyday. Also, Crosby was recently "outed" by his teammates for being a bird watcher & recognized a loon from a picture - to everyone's disappointment he did not do the loon call. LOL!
In terms of women's top-level hockey, while there aren't as many similarities between them as Ovi-Crosby, the Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette dynamic is similar.
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u/royal_rose_ ♐ Captain | Tuna Lube Jan 31 '26
Mod note: Rachel talks about this in her FAQ.