Despite the bitter wind and bone-chilling temperatures, hundreds gathered at the Mercer Playground for yet another look-alike competition. This time, the theme was none other than the hit gay hockey romance, “Heated Rivalry,” which revolves around the decadelong situationship of rival athletes Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Led by organizers carrying rainbow hockey sticks bearing the words “gay sex,” a crowd of onlookers poured into the small park after police redirected the event from its initial location in Washington Square Park. A mass of Wasian and Slavic-looking contestants lined the fence, preparing to face off.
Over the winter, viewership for the hit series skyrocketed, averaging 9 million U.S. viewers per episode and becoming one of the top five scripted shows on HBO Max upon its debut. Since the show’s virality, breakout stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie have rapidly grown in fame, with both accumulating 3.1 million Instagram followers each. The pair presented the award for best supporting actress in a television role at the Golden Globes, were torch carriers for the 49th leg of the 2026 Winter Olympics Torch Relay and have been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ and Vogue.
Thanks to the show’s quick rise to fame, the lookalike contest garnered much attention upon its announcement in early January. By the day of the event, organizers Katherine Gehring and Charlotte Steinblatt received a total of 4,799 RSVPs on Partiful.
“I wanted to go to the look-alike competition because I’m a really big fan of the show, and the ‘Heated Rivalry’ events I had attended previously in New York were super fun,” Tisch first-year Veronica Piurek said. “I thought it would be just like a good place to find community and find other people who love this show.”
After introductions from each of the contestants, elimination rounds based on crowd cheers brought the event closer to its winners. First, contestants made their case for their competition with each of them announcing whether they were there for fame, love, money or all three. The second round involved contestants reading out scripts for their respective characters. Many of the “Ilyas” stayed true to their characters by holding cigarettes in their mouths, paying tribute to the stoic Russian.
“I think the best ones won, but I think some of the other contestants put on more of a show,” CAS senior Taylor Heller said. “That was also part of the fun, it was theatrical, in a way. I think the people who won were very fitting. I think they deserved their win.”
The final winners were Tyler Gaul and Ryan Heffernan, whose resemblances to the show’s protagonists won them $50 grand prizes. After the event crowned its winners, the crowd chanted “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Though to everyone’s dismay, the most affection displayed between the two champs was a dap up. Both of the contestants were confident in their wins.
“I knew I was going to win,” Heffernan, the Shane look-alike victor, said.
“My friends all told me I would win, so I can’t say I’m surprised,” Gaul, honorary Ilya, said.
Complete with hockey jerseys, makeouts and even a canine Shane Hollander contestant, this event honored the essence of the show that captured the hearts of audiences worldwide.
“I think that more people should go to stupid community events and get outside their houses, because they’re really dumb, and they’re really fun,” Heller said. “So I would encourage NYU students to get out in the streets more.”
Noor Maahin contributed reporting.
Contact Logan O’Connor at [email protected].