Heated Rivalry's story is filled with the perfect blend of drama and romance, elevated by the intrigue surrounding the ages of the main characters. HBO Max and Crave's latest sports drama is based on Rachel Reid's Game Changer novel series, which follows the ups and downs of two rivals, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who begin a steamy affair that turns into something more. The series is midway through its six-episode run on the streamer, and it does not hold back in showing how much Shane and Ilya crave one another during intimate scenes.
Episode 3 took a significant turn after it placed the spotlight on two other characters, Scott Hunter and Kip Grady, who are both older than the main protagonists. As the conversation surrounding the romance among Heated Rivalry's cast of characters heats up, a point of discussion among fans is the actual age of these hockey players.
How Old Are Shane, Ilya, Scott, & More in Heated Rivalry? Character Ages Revealed
Shane Hollander
- Age: 18 (present timeline)
Rachel Reid's Game Changer novel series confirmed that Shane Hollander's birth date is May 10, 1991. Given that the events of the book began in 2008, this means that he is 17 years old when he first met his rival and eventual lover, Ilya Ruzanov. Following their first meeting, Shane was drafted in second place to become part of the Montreal Voyaguers at the age of 18.
Moreover, Chapter Two of Heated Rivalry outright confirms that Shane is indeed 18 years old during the 2009 timeline, with Ilya describing him as "short" and "he felt like a kid."
Meanwhile, in the Heated Rivalry series, Shane is the same age as his book counterpart, as Episode 1 shows the first-ever meeting of Shane and Ilya during the finals of their senior year in the hockey stage. The episode then jumped six months into the future, where Shane was drafted under the Montreal Metros while Ilya signed with the Boston Raiders.
Ilya Rozanov
Age: 18 (present timeline)
While Ilya Rozanov’s age was not mentioned in the series, Reid's Game Changer novel series (via this Game Changers wiki entry) indicated that he was born on June 15, 1991, meaning that he is a month younger than Shane. This would make him 17 years old when they first met, and 18 during the 2009 events depicted in the HBO Max show.
Given that the book spans a nine-year story, Ilya and Shane would be around early to mid-20s during their peak at the professional level of hockey (read more on how Ilya and Shane's story ends in the Heated Rivalry novel).
Scott Hunter
Age: 25
The Game Changer book mentioned that Scott was born sometime in 1988. Given that Episode 3 of Heated Rivalry is set in late 2013 and ends in February 2014, this would make him around 25 years old.
On page 190 of Heated Rivalry (Chapter 20 - set in 2017), Shane mentioned that Scott is "three years older" than him and Ilya, meaning that he would be 29 years old during this point in the timeline, while Ilya and Shane are 26 years old.
Interestingly, Francois Arnaud said in an interview with TV Guide that his character has "a decade on our younger protagonists," further confirming that Scott is much older than the two main characters:
"And there’s something that is moving to me about seeing someone who’s got a decade on our younger protagonists who are going through something similar, but he’s repressed it for so long that there’s just something really sad and tired [with him]."
While the gap between 25 and 18 is clearly not a decade, one would assume that this is an interesting word choice to prove how much experience he really has over them, both in hockey and the dating landscape.
Kip Grady
Age: 25 (2013 timeline) to 26 (2014 timeline)
Kip has had a blossoming romance with Scott since they are the protagonists of the first book, but they also play supporting roles in the second novel, Heated Rivalry.
Episode 3 primarily focused on their love story, and the show confirmed that he is celebrating his 26th birthday with his father, meaning he was 25 years old when he first met Scott in the opening moments of the latest installment, which went back in time before the Olympics.
Carter Vaughn
Age: 25
Carter Vaughn is Scott’s best friend in the show and the books. His age is not confirmed in the series, but some have theorized that he would be around the same age as the Game Changer’s protagonist. This would make him 25 years old, but it's worth noting that this is only speculation since it has yet to be confirmed.
Hayden Pike
Age: 18
Hayden Pike is Shane’s best friend, who doesn't like Ilya because he already sees him as a rival and not a close ally. While the show didn't confirm Hayden's age, the book described him as "Shane's left wing line mate" in the prologue, meaning they had been teammates long before being drafted.
In Chapter Twelve of Heated Rivalry, Shane confirmed that Hayden married his wife, Jackie, at the age of 21. His narration took place in October 2016, when Jackie was already pregnant with their fourth child. Based on that scenario, this would mean that Hayden married Jackie around 2012, which aligns with him being 21, as he would have been 18 years old in 2009.
Svetlana Vetrova
Age: 18 (around the same age as Ilya in the show) & 26 in the books
Svetlana Vetrova is Ilya’s on-again, off-again hookup buddy in the show. In the 2017 timeline of the Heated Rivalry novel, Shane mentioned that Ilya first met Svetlana "three years ago." Given that Ilya was 18 in the 2009 timeline, this would mean that he met her in 2014 when he was 23 years old.
However, in the show, Svetlana showed up at a much earlier point in the timeline because she was present during the rookies’ awarding ceremony in Heated Rivalry Episode 1. It was also implied in the premiere that Ilya and Svetlana have been hooking up for quite some time.
It's worth noting that Svetlana's age is not confirmed in both the books and the show, but it's worth assuming that he would be the same age as Ilya because of their closeness and better understanding of one another when it comes to intimacy.
Yuna & David Hollander
Age: 40s - 50s
Yuna Hollander is Shane’s supportive mother who only wants what's best for her son. The series and the book didn't confirm Yuna's age, but some have speculated that she could be between 40 and 50 years old, based on her appearance and outlook on love and life.
Yuna eventually learned about Shane and Ilya's relationship in the final few chapters of the book. While she was initially shocked about the secret affair, she managed to learn to accept who her son really is.
Meanwhile, David Hollander is the strict yet loving father of Shane, whose age was also not confirmed in the books and in the show. It's also reasonable to assume that he is within the same age range as his wife.
