The Toronto doctor who owns the cabin that appeared in the Heated Rivalry Season 1 finale says he almost did not let the HBO production come back.
Michael Kutryk, whose remote cabin was featured in the episode titled "The Cottage," told HGTV he took time before agreeing to Season 2. "I did a little bit of soul searching about allowing them to come back," Kutryk said. "I know they need it, and I realize I [could] be difficult and try to squeeze them, but I [couldn't] bring myself to do that."
When the production called and asked his price, Kutryk kept it modest. "When they called, they said, 'How much do you want?' First, I told them they scratched my table, then I named a very reasonable price. They were shocked and appreciative. I actually didn't even get them to replace my table," he said.
Kutryk said he was initially surprised to find his home connected to the show at all. He discovered the source material, Rachel Reid's novel Game Changer, as an audiobook. "My jaw just dropped as I listened. The pretty explicit nature of the book made me wonder just what they'd be filming … and showing!" he said. "I just thought, OK, they're gonna film what they're gonna film. What's done is done."
The Heated Rivalry Season 1 finale uses Kutryk's cabin as the setting for a private getaway between the show's two central characters, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. The series, which streams on HBO Max and Canadian service Crave, follows two professional hockey players who compete publicly while conducting a secret romance. Shane is played by Hudson Williams and Ilya by Connor Storrie.
According to Variety, the show was greenlit for Season 2 in December 2025, with a release expected in April 2027. Kutryk indicated his involvement beyond that point is uncertain.
"We'll see after Season 2 airs what demand is like," he said. "It's still true: I'm a private guy. This is my retreat. I built this to get away from the world, so I don't know how much longer I'll continue to share it."
