From the OHL to the TV Screen: The Alumni Behind Heated Rivalry’s Hockey Authenticity

Heated Rivalry set a new benchmark as Crave’s most-watched original series premiere, captivating viewers around the globe and securing multiple spots among IMDb’s top 15 television episodes of all time. What many fans didn’t realize, however, is that the series’ authentic on-ice action was actually powered by former Ontario Hockey League players behind the scenes.

The six-episode Canadian series, based on Rachel Reid’s book series, tells the fictional story of a secret romance between two male hockey stars. And at the heart of its success was a commitment to hockey authenticity that led producers directly to OHL alumni.

The OHL Connection

Jonah De Simone’s path from the Niagara IceDogs to a television production set reads like a storyline of its own. The former IceDog, who recorded 21 points in 112 games across two OHL seasons, served as the skating double for Canadian actor Hudson Williams, who portrays lead character Shane Hollander.

“Production actually reached out to our coach here in Guelph and asked if any of us wanted to participate. After I got the nod of approval, they said I’d be a good fit to be a body double for the lead on the ice, and I was game for it.” said De Simone, now a third-year accounting student who also played two seasons with the Guelph Gryphons. “Any scene where you might see Hollander make an athletic movement on the ice, it’s actually me.”

He also had a familial connection to the project. His cousin, Sam Willetts, worked on the production crew as a lighting technician, and his mother appeared as an extra in the fifth episode. Unfortunately, Sam tragically passed away just months after filming wrapped.

“That was a super cool connection for me. And it just so happened that actually a couple of months later, [Sam] tragically passed away,” said De Simone. Director Jacob Tierney honoured Sam in the credits, which him and his family really appreciate. 

Additionally, Kitchener Rangers alumnus Cam Fergus worked as stunt coordinator, while the show’s filming took place at The Sleeman Centre, home of the Guelph Storm, where all on-ice and locker room scenes were captured.

The show’s iconic Lake Muskoka cottage was also designed by former OHL player Trevor McIvor, who helped the Oshawa Generals win the Memorial Cup in 1990.

 

Making It Real

During filming, De Simone and the other skating doubles were focused on ensuring Williams and co-star Connor Storrie looked natural in every hockey moment.

“Our perspective was that we wanted to make sure that they looked and felt comfortable on the ice, so it was lots of feedback between takes,” De Simone explained. “For example, on face-offs, we would correct where their hands were on a stick and just little tidbits like that.”

De Simone and his fellow doubles shared habits common among players, including writing on the knobs of their sticks. Williams appreciated and embraced the idea, writing Hollander’s mother’s name, Yuna, on his stick, a subtle touch that resonated with many fans of the show.

“It was funny, we even told them about some players who write things on the knobs of their sticks, and Hudson even wrote the name of his character’s mom on the knob of his stick. So just little details like that, that we could help contribute was really cool,” De Simone recalled.

One teaching moment even turned into a viral highlight after De Simone showed them different stretches that they could do during the warmup scenes. Recently, Williams demonstrated some of them on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“I showed him a quad stretch, a hamstring stretch, and then I showed him the classic groin stretch, and he jumped on that,” De Simone said with a laugh.

 

From Face-Offs to Film Sets

The experience helped gave De Simone a new appreciation for both hockey and production work. “It takes a lot of detail, execution and experience that I didn’t appreciate before I was in it,” he reflected. “All of a sudden, it goes from sitting on our phones doing nothing to, ‘OK, try on these skates, tell them how to tape their socks, tape these five sticks.’ We even had to decide on a look for Hudson’s character.”

During his time on set, authenticity mattered deeply to De Simone, knowing hockey fans would be watching closely. “I was like, people might be viewing this from a critical eye, and I want to give them the least amount of things to pick out as possible, which I thought we did reasonably well,” he said of the finished product.

His OHL background also proved valuable in ways he did not expect. “It’s not crazy in the O or anything like that, but I do think the training I had there has helped me with the media I’m doing now,” he said in regards to all the press he’s received since the show.

 

The Brotherhood

What began as a professional opportunity to get back onto the ice and share his love for the game, quickly turned into something more. 

“Both Hudson and Connor were really fun and genuine guys who cared about getting it right,” De Simone noted. “We had a great time making them feel like they were a part of the hockey brotherhood, and honestly, by the end, you really felt like they were one of the boys.”

The show’s rapid rise surprised even those involved. Williams and Storrie have since presented at the Golden Globes, served as Olympic torch bearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games and a second season of the series was greenlit just last month.

“It was really surprising how big the show’s gotten,” De Simone admitted. “I remember when we were working on it, I really wanted to help out the hockey side as much as I could. Even realizing it might not be a key part of the show, I still wanted to put my best foot forward.”

Since filming wrapped last spring, De Simone has returned his focus to accounting, but the experience broadened his outlook. “I really enjoyed it. I’m an accountant by day, but I’m open to acting by night,” he told GuelphToday. “I just loved being part of the production.”

 

The fingerprints of OHL alumni on one of the world’s hottest television show is no accident. It’s a reflection of how the league prepares young people for success in whatever path they choose. The skills, relationships, and opportunities developed here can open doors that many never realized were within reach.