By Jennifer Bain | Published February 9th, 2026

Bain There, Done That is Jennifer Bain’s bi-weekly column about travelling Canada in search of quirk.

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**A GO Train whizzes over the Pink Tunnel in Hamilton that’s newly famous for being a Heated Rivalry filming location/Jennifer Bain**

What jumped out as I geeked out in Hamilton’s Pink Tunnel was the smattering of graffiti from fellow fans who have already made pilgrimages to this Heated Rivalry filming location.

There was “IR X SH 4 Ever,” a nod to the years-long secret relationship between hockey players Ilya Rozanov (American Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Canadian Hudson Williams).

There was “China loves Hollanov,” perhaps penned by a Chinese tourist travelling between Toronto and Niagara Falls.

“Scott Hunter is 100 000 years old” was a cheeky nod to the show’s third closeted and “older” hockey player, played by François Arnaud (another Canadian actor).

**Toronto-based travel writer Jennifer Bain explores Hamilton’s Pink Tunnel in Shamrock Park looking for graffiti related to Heated Rivalry/Jennifer Bain**

I grinned at Shane’s line “Sorry If I’m being boring again,” and laughed out loud at “Who taught you to sext — Your mother?” — something Ilya teases Shane about in season one of the hit series.

When I walked through the pink-walled tunnel in Shamrock Park where Ilya pours his heart out in a Russian monologue to Shane from “Moscow” after his father’s funeral, I hadn’t yet watched the finale. So it wasn’t until later that I realized the “Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird” graffiti was a reference to the loon calls that freak out Ilya during a Muskoka cottage getaway.

**American Connor Storrie plays Ilya Rozanov and Canadian Hudson Williams plays Shane Hollander in the hit series Heated Rivalry/Sabrina Lantos, HBO Max**

Oh, Heated Rivalry, you’re shining quite a cool spotlight on Hamilton and Canada.

Whether fans realize it yet or not, the steamy six-episode hockey romance was filmed mainly in Hamilton, Guelph, Muskoka and Toronto here in Ontario, and is based on Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series. Women, it seems, are the biggest fans.

“The runaway phenomenon that is Heated Rivalry shows how powerful film tourism can be when audiences feel so emotionally connected to a show and the characters and places it depicts,” Tourism Hamilton’s Dana Borcea told me. “Fans aren’t just watching Hamilton on screen. They’re actively and joyfully seeking out locations, neighbourhoods and experiences tied to the stories and characters they’ve fallen in love with.”

That’s exactly what I did one Sunday in January.

**Hamilton stands in for Moscow in scenes where Ilya Rozanov jogs by Dundurn Castle at Dundurn National Historic Site/Jennifer Bain**

I drove 80 kilometres from my home in Toronto to the Pink Tunnel (a gritty pedestrian and cycling path running beneath train tracks), and then checked out nine more spots.

Dundurn Castle appears in scenes where Ilya jogs through “Moscow,” but is Dundurn National Historic Site and gives year-round guided tours. The Sheraton Hamilton Hotel is where Ilya sits in bed watching Shane’s post-game interview on TV. Event space Liuna Station was where Scott and Elena Rygg (Canadian Nadine Bhabha) dance at a black tie fundraiser and discuss Kip Grady (Canadian Robbie G.K).

I peeked into Le Tambour Tavern, where Shane comes out to Rose Landry (Canadian Marie-Sophie Nélisse). But since I was driving, I resisted the Tall, Dark and Hollander and Meet Me At The Cottage cocktails. Ciao Bella was closed but I peered through the windows and pictured Shane lunching with his parents. At the Winchester Arms in nearby Dundas, I saw locals warming the seats in the gay bar where Kip and his friends watch Scott’s hockey games.

**The Straw+Berry counter where Scott orders smoothies from Kip is actually Relay Coffee Roasters in downtown Hamilton/Jennifer Bain**

After the Pink Tunnel, my favourite stop was Relay Coffee Roasters, which was the Straw+Berry smoothie shop where Scott and Kip first meet and flirt. I ordered a Hollander Hot Chocolate, noted how the barista only called out “hot chocolate” when it was ready, and wished I’d timed my impromptu Hamilton visit to the coffeeshop’s fan meet-up or upcoming dance parties and trivia nights at other spots around town.

“Heated Rivalry has helped introduce Hamilton to new audiences in a very organic and authentic way,” observes Borcea. “All this helps capture the city’s heritage, grit, beauty and culture — as both a filming and visitor destination.”

**You can order a Hollander Hot Chocolate at Relay Coffee Roasters (the Straw+Berry smoothie shop in Heated Rivalry)/Jennifer Bain**

Has it really only been weeks since Heated Rivalry debuted Nov. 28 on Canada’s Crave, dropping Fridays until Dec. 26 and getting streamed internationally by HBO Max?

Ottawa Tourism now calls itself the “Birthplace of Shane Hollander” in social media bios. Tourism Nova Scotia calls itself “Birthplace of hockey, Rachel Reid & Ryan Price” (another hockey player in Reid’s series). Reid, by the way, is the pen name for Rachelle Goguen.

Muskoka Tourism is inviting people to come to the cottage region to see a loon/stupid Canadian wolf bird. While Shane and Ilya escaped to the privately owned Barlochan Cottage, Muskoka has more than 100 places to stay.

**“Come to the Cottage” billboards in Greater Toronto are a nod to Heated Rivalry scenes that were filmed in Muskoka but pretended to be Quebec/Muskoka Tourism**

“With our ‘Come to the Cottage’ campaign generating over 11 million billboard impressions across the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), the show is amplifying awareness at a major scale,” Muskoka Tourism Executive Director Val Hamilton told me. “It captures the spirit of lake life in a way that resonates globally, and we’re seeing growing interest from visitors who want to experience that authentic Muskoka getaway for themselves.”

Of course Toronto got some Heated Rivalry love.

I’ve been to Lavelle, a rooftop bar/lounge that plays Tampa in an All-Star Game weekend scene. The Park Hyatt’s Joni restaurant is where ginger ale-loving Shane, who is “probably autistic” according to the writer who created him, wins Rookie of the Year. SoHo Hotel Toronto is where Shane stays alone in a very big bed after the Major League Hockey draft, and then has a sweaty stationary bike encounter with Ilya.

**Fans want selfies at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph because that’s where Heated Rivalry’s on-ice scenes were filmed/Guelph Tourism**

Still on my Heated Rivalry to do list — drive 50 kilometres from Hamilton to Guelph to see the Sleeman Centre where on-ice and locker-room scenes were shot.

“Big fans of the show will definitely recognize those spots so that’s exciting,” Alex Jaworiwsky, Guelph’s Manager of Tourism and Destination Development told me.

You can always take selfies outside the sports and entertainment venue, but to get inside you’ll need to check out a Guelph Storm hockey game or join public skating sessions Wednesdays at noon (but bring your own skates).

**Back in Hamilton’s Pink Tunnel, graffiti references Ilya and Shane’s epic love story — and Canadian loons/Jennifer Bain**

And so now we wait for Heated Rivalry season two, which we’re hoping Canadian director/creator/writer Jacob Tierney will shoot later this year for an early 2027 release.

Something tells me super fans might even try to figure out when and where the filming is happening and show up.

As for me, I’m going to dive into Reid’s “cute smut about hockey” books — six and counting, not all about Shane and Ilya — and get a sneak peek at what might happen next.

Coming Feb. 23: Bain There, Done That circumnavigates Newfoundland on an expedition cruise with Adventure Canada.

Bain There, Done That: Heated Rivalry Screen Tourism in Hamilton

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