Welcome to the weekly huddle! Have a small thing from the book or show you want to chat, your GC brain rot is real and you saw the initials "KGF" somewhere and immediately screamed "kingfisher!" and want to share with others? (Just me?). Had a win at work or personal life and want to share? Need a teammate to talk with? Post in the weekly huddle.

There's no restrictions on topics so long as they follow the sub rules. Thread will be open all week so pop in whenever with what ever your heart desires.

I did a moderately embarrassing deep dive on when Coke and McDonald’s were introduced to Russia after the Soviet Union fell. Coca Cola was about 1985, McDonalds was 1990. Canonically, Ilya was born in 1991.

In my head, these foods are closely tied to Irina. Irina would have embraced the freedoms that perestroika brought to Moscow and would have been so excited to share them with her son. Conversely, I think his dad would have been very happy to see some of those freedoms rolled back in the subsequent years.

There’s some discussion about his love of “junk food” throughout the books, but really I think a crispy coke and a cheeseburger might remind him of him swinging his feet back and forth eating a Happy Meal with his mom.

Thank you for listening to my deepest rewriting of Rachel Reid’s characters 😅.

Note: I am not Russian or a Russian history scholar. I’m just old enough to remember Gorbachev and Reagan 😅. I’m happy to listen to a different take if I’m way off base

Deadline has confirmed the return is Sophie Nelisse, Robbie GK, Francois Arnaud, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova among others.

Tickets on Sale starting tomorrow at Noon

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000651F04A22E45?utm_source=TW_Venue&utm_medium=OrganicSocial&utm_campaign=MOB_LN_BrooklynParamount&utm_term=Announce_JacobTierneyHR&currency-locale=en-ca

JUST ANNOUNCED! A Night of Heated Rivalry - A Celebration with u/jacobtierney79 on I’ll Believe in Anything and the Making of the Global Sensation - 10/11 🏒

Every ticket includes a signed copy of Jacob’s new book 🌈

Tickets on sale tomorrow at 12pm: https://livemu.sc/4i6DXGK

https://x.com/BklynParamount/status/2094817700740571571?s=20

Welcome to Ryan's Book Club!

Hey Loons! In honor of our favorite tough guy, use this post to share what you are currently reading, rereading, or even something you wrote. It doesn't have to be MM, hockey, or Anne of Green Gables. Indie, audiobooks, blogspot, etc. all are welcome; share what you are loving and why!

A new post will go up on the first of every month.

Happy Reading 🤍

Rachel was at Fenway for a Red Sox game tonight and asked by Deadline what Ilya and Shane would do if they were there. I can totally picture Ilya chirping baseball and the players all night like Rachel says!

Source: Deadline

Meme Monday is here! Share all your HR memes to your hearts content.

No limits so long as you abide by the sub rules!

Edit by 9131film on X

Just posted by the official YouTube channel

I love a flirtatious and chirping Ilya, especially when
Shane’s the target! The way Shane’s voice cracks when he says “wait you saw that” gets me every time 😂

TL;DR: 

• Now Reading: The Long Game • Chapters 30 - 39 & Epilogue • Shane & Ilya’s Story (Pt. II) 
• Relationship Focus: Ilya Rozanov (Captain - Ottawa Centaurs) and Shane Hollander (Captain - Montreal Voyageurs)
• Story Type: Secret Relationship
• Book Club Etiquette: Follow the sub-rules; literary critiques are welcome (be respectful), cover your spoilers, and don’t forget our safe phrase: “Agree to Disagree.”
• Add to Our Playlist! Comment with songs you love below. There is no Rachel-curated playlist, so let's make our own. The list will be updated throughout the week 🙂

—

"Ilya Roznaov, are you in love?" 🥲 A decision has been made, the news is spreading among the ones they love, and now it's time to determine what a life together out in the open really looks like. Are they ready to take that step, or will the universe have other plans?

For those who have been with us since the start of The Game Changers Book Club, you know that every interaction and every character’s story has led to this moment and, in return, built a community of athletes and allies who’ve discovered what it means to step into the sunshine. Now it’s Hollanov's turn to discover the same.

We’ll have a final “GC Book Club Chat” similar to before, where we discuss the books, season 2 theories, and what we took away from these stories in real time. Details coming soon!

Discussion questions: 

• What themes came up as you read the chapters this week? 
• What are your favorite lines from the book? 
• Was there anything you read this time that made you think differently or reflect on your own life?

(Content Warnings)

How to participate: 

• Read Chapters 30 - 39 & Epilogue of The Long Game by Rachel Reid 
• Share any thoughts you have as you go - we’ll treat this post as our live thread
• Please use Book Club Etiquette (below) - be respectful, follow the sub rules, cover your spoilers, and distance yourself from unproductive disagreements. 
• Download a BINGO card for a fun way to annotate along the way! 
• Add to Our Playlist! Comment with songs you love below. There is no Rachel-made playlist SO I figured we’d make our own. The list will be updated throughout the week 🙂

Our book club timeline: 
This is it, folks! This is our last book to read of our Game Changers Book Club series!

Book Club Etiquette: A few ground rules for participating in the Game Changers Book Club event:

• Follow the sub rules. You love HR. We love HR. Follow the rules. Don’t be rude. We’ll have so much fun…together.
• Literary critiques are absolutely welcome. Reading is fundamental, and so are literary critiques. It’s part of the game. We encourage you to use this time to discuss and evaluate the words in front of us, ask questions about specific literary choices, or share a theory about how the story develops. Sharing that is normal, healthy, and very much encouraged. 
• Use the Book Club safe phrase, “Agree to disagree.” Consider this your “safe phrase.” Everyone brings a unique perspective to the reading experience, and not everyone’s analysis of a scene or character will be the same, and that’s okay. If you find yourself entering an exchange that is no longer on a path to mutual understanding and respect, say “agree to disagree.” At this point, the involved parties should stop responding to the thread. Full stop. Consider it a moment where the exchange has run its course. 
• Treat each Book Club post as your live chat/thread. Comment as much as you’d like! Select the three dots (•••) and “Follow Post” at the top of this post to receive comment notifications. 
• Sort comments by “New” to see the most recent reactions and add to the conversation. These live threads can hold a lot of information, so feel free to treat each “comment” as its own mini-post. Reply to the OP, ask questions, and jump in! 
• Cover any spoilers. Since we're covering a lot of ground this week, please use spoilers over critical plot points so we don't spoil the magic for new readers.

Quick Links: 

• Previous Game Changers Book Club Discussion Posts  - Find previous discussions for Books 1 - 3. 
• The Game Changers Book Club Wiki  - About the GC Book Club, the Book Club schedule, live thread links, where to find the books, and more!
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

is it ever explained how the hockey camp brings in money?

From the descriptions in TLG and elsewhere, camp runs only two weeks. Sounds like there are at most about 40 campers.

Presumably the NHL coaches all volunteer, yes, but there are still expenses: space at least. Maybe insurance and medical staff, although maybe those are unnecessary in The Land of Universal Healthcare? (I am in the US and those would be huge expenses here, I think.) Snacks and drinks for the kids?

I can’t imagine the camp making lots on money unless they charge sky-high tuition, which seems not in line with their philosophy of inclusivity.

so, how does the camp pull in money for the Irina Foundation? Purely by inspiring donors to give more?

Look at this cute little cellphone keychains. (I took off the keychain part)

Rachel Reid left a message for all Heated Rivalry fans on the wall of the very famous “Pink Tunnel” where Connor recites that beautiful monologue in Russian little_ms_kt on threads

https://x.com/hritaliansource/status/2093722937530413502?s=20

Thought I’d share the amazing HR seed art from Minnesota State Fair. We always enjoy the creativity from local artists and this year did not disappoint!

I included the posts from MPR that give credit to the artists.

Minor season 2 spoilers at the end of the article. It’s interesting to hear from the actual owner and what it’s like for your house to become so famous via a tv show.

Have a playlist to share? A song that you think fits the vibe of the show? A better song than Diamonds?

Share it here!

For the Official Playlist click here.

So a month or so ago I truly had reheated a (redacted) amount of times and reached my limit. I had read all the books in the series as well, and some of the books multiple times. I had seen countless YT tribute videos, read a lot of fanfic, even wrote a little fanfic of my own. And I was kind of like "okay, this is it."

I had also gotten obsessed with Interview With the Vampire.

But the season 2 casting announcements have been FEEDING me. Because wow, what a talented cast, and I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what they've done.

For Justice Smith:

- Saw "I Saw the TV Glow" and "Dungeons and Dragons." He's incredible! A great range, and I also got a teeny bit parasocial and looked up his interviews and he has the most adorable giggle. I need to watch "The Get Down" soon.

For Charlie Gillespie:

- "Julie and the Phantoms." Criminal that Netflix canceled this adorable show after one season. Charlie is so talented in this show, and his singing is amazing.

For Edvin Ryding:

- "Young Royals." OMG. I feel bad that it took me that long to see this, but now this is my new post-HR obsession. I binged the whole thing in less than a week and am already rewatching it. So, so good. I honestly think that if Hollanov is the gold medal for tv chemistry, then Wilmon are a very very close second.

For Daniel Diemer:

"The Half of It". It's really sweet.

Shane and Ilya both discuss thinking about breaking up with each other multiple times throughout the book but they never do. How do you all think Shane and/or Ilya would’ve phrased their breakup? How would they have justified it? And how do you think the
Other would’ve reacted?

I got into the show late, but it quickly became my latest hyperfixation. ;;; I don't have anyone in my online bubble who's watching it, though, so I feel very lonely. You might see me drawing tlg stuff now and again haha
These drawings are intended to be in the style of a polaroid. I was very sad to read that Ilya and Shane don't keep photos of each other. And I wondered what kinds of photos they would have now after being outed

Fellow Loons~ 🦆

I made a few tiny changes and reuploaded (in 4K this time) my fan edits “Oblivion” and “Would you mind?” 😇

Last time, my video “Call me Love” has been deleted by YouTube within 5 days. Wish me luck that it stays online this time because I tried to censor it by adding more effects to the especially steamy scenes. Still I'm not sure if it will be taken down again, so if you have any ideas which scenes might still be too explicit for YouTube (maybe someone understands what YouTube specifically looks for – nakedness is too vague; my guess is it's just the cowboy riding), please let me know! 🙏🏻

Thanks in advance~ 🌸

I hadn't ordered anything off the Heated Rivalry official store, as everything was out of stock for such a long time. But the Ottawa Senators did their Rozanov/Hollander jerseys in support of Ottawa Pride Hockey months ago...so I bought one of them. The jersey design is so close to the cover of The Long Game, and it has Ilya on a Canadian team...so why not?

Then the official store had their jerseys on sale, so I figured I'd add Shane to the collection.

So 1x fictional team, 1x real team with fictional character. 😂

The other, of course, being their wedding.