Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid, Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander, Hayden Pike, Cliff Marlow, Rose Landry

Additional Tags:

Social Media, Crack Treated Seriously, Humor, Crack, Fluff and Humor, Shane Hollander Loves Ilya Rozanov, fake media, news article, Ilya Does an Interview, chat fic, Ilya Is Deep In Enemy Territory, background & cameo characters - Freeform, Texting, Mistaken Identity, Identity Reveal, Sort Of, Twitter, Ilya Rozanov Loves Shane Hollander, Secret Relationship, Pre-Book 6: The Long Game (Game Changers), News Media, Sports Journalism, Press and Tabloids

Language:

English

Series:

Part 1 of Opal's Social Media AUs

Collections:

Hollanov 🥰, Heated Rivalry ➻ Ilya Grigoryevich Rozanov / Shane Hollander, one shots wonder, Prongs_Antlerz favourite marvelous fics, inject this into my soul (hollanov edition), HollaNov fanfics I Love, Stoopid Gay Hockey Players, The best pairings to bask in, No thoughts just gay hockey, Quick dopamine boost for the soul, *Heated rivalry melts my heart*, Lazer's Social Media fics, Hollanov foreva

Stats:

Published: 2026-02-04 Words: 3,153 Chapters: 1/1

keeping a low profile (the sunglasses have rhinestones)

Summary

There are many ways to support your favorite player. Attending their games, for instance. Buying their jersey. Or, if you're trying to keep a secret relationship under wraps, you could drive four hours in the opposite direction, wrap yourself in a dollar store blanket with eyeholes cut in it, and attempt to blend in with the locals.

It's foolproof. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

The internet would never figure it out.

Notes

This entire silly story is inspired by itshype's hysterical post on Tumblr.

Thank you to profdanglais for betaing!

• Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: 保持低调（戴着水钻墨镜）【翻自：keeping a low profile (the sunglasses have rhinestones)】 by Undomiel_00

WLOC MONTREAL

LOCAL | SPORTS | VIRAL

Metros Fan Hides Identity Under Blanket, Says He’s “From Boston” and His “Coworkers Would Kill Him”

By Sebastien Verville | September 14, 2019 | 8:15 PM EST

MONTREAL — An unusual encounter outside the Bell Centre before last night’s Metros-Maple Leafs matchup has gone viral after WLOC filmed an extremely tall man wrapped in a pink blanket who claimed his “coworkers in Boston” would “kill him” if they knew he was supporting Montreal.

The man, who refused to identify himself, was wearing a Shane Hollander jersey beneath an oversized faux-fur throw blanket with eyeholes cut into it. He spoke with an accent that fans online have described as “definitely not from Boston” and fled the interview when the reporter noted his voice sounded “familiar.”

The segment has since been viewed over 4.7 million times across platforms.

[ 4.7M Views ] [ 👍 1.2M ] [ 🔁 842K ] [ 💬 4,127 ] [ 🔗 Share ]

▶ [VIDEO] PRE-GAME FAN REACTIONS — INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS

[Exterior shot of the Bell Centre. Fans in blue Metros jerseys mill about. A woman sells foam fingers near the entrance.]

VERVILLE (V.O.): We hit the streets before last night’s matchup against Toronto to get fan reactions on Montreal’s playoff chances this season.

[A woman in a Hollander jersey, face painted red and blue]

FAN #1: Tonight’s going to be incredible. Hollander always plays harder against Toronto—I think it’s leftover energy from facing Boston all those years.

VERVILLE: Speaking of Boston, any thoughts on Ilya Rozanov?

FAN #1: [laughs] God, I hate that guy. Remember when he called Shane’s backhand “weak” after the 2014 playoffs? Shane scored four goals on him the next game. That’s what I love about this rivalry—Rozanov talks all that trash and Shane answers on the ice.

[Cut to a man in his 50s, vintage Metros cap]

FAN #2: I’ve been watching this team for thirty years. The Hollander-Rozanov rivalry is the best thing to happen to this league since Gretzky. Pure hatred. You can see it every time they’re on the ice together. Did you see the playoffs last year?

VERVILLE: Of course.

FAN #2: Rozanov knocked Shane into the boards so hard I thought he’d killed him. Then Shane got up and assisted on the game-winner. That’s hockey.

[Cut to a man in a Maple Leafs jersey, arms crossed]

LEAFS FAN: Look, I respect Hollander, but people act like he’s untouchable. His faceoff percentage has been down the last two seasons. Toronto’s got his number tonight.

[Off-camera, a muffled voice with a thick accent interjects]

UNKNOWN VOICE: His faceoff percentage is down three points from his career high, but he has compensated with a fifteen percent increase in successful zone entries. And his neutral zone interceptions are league-leading. Toronto does not have his number. Toronto does not even have his area code. They are guessing.

[Camera pans to locate the voice. A figure wrapped in dusty rose faux-fur stands six feet away, rhinestone-studded women’s sunglasses perched where a face should be. The blanket stops well above the ankle, exposing black designer shoes. A Metros jersey—HOLLANDER 24—is visible where the blanket gaps at the front.]

LEAFS FAN: Who the hell—

UNKNOWN VOICE: Also Matthews is very predictable on the power play, always cheating high. Hollander will bait him, take away the middle, and will shut him down. You will see.

[The Leafs fan stares, opens his mouth, closes it, and walks away.]

MYSTERY FAN: [calling after him] And Toronto has not won the Cup since 1967! Maybe should find that number first?

VERVILLE: Well. That was... impressive. Mind if I redirect my questions to you, Mr…?

MYSTERY FAN: You think I am wearing this to just give you my name?

VERVILLE: Right… so, I’m Sebastien Verville, WLOC News. That was quite the statistical breakdown Mr. Mystery Fan.

MYSTERY FAN: I am not breaking anything down. This is basic. If you watch hockey with your eyes open.

VERVILLE: Are you excited for the game tonight?

MYSTERY FAN: Very excited. Hollander will have a good game. He always plays well at home after a road loss. He gets—[searching for the word]—competitive. Angry. He hates to lose two in a row. He will come out fast in the first period, mark my words.

VERVILLE: You really seem to know his patterns.

MYSTERY FAN: As I said, I follow hockey.

VERVILLE: I see you’re wearing his jersey. Big Hollander fan?

[The man tugs the blanket tighter over the visible “24.”]

MYSTERY FAN: I… yes. Anyone with eyes should be. I remember watching him at the World Juniors—

VERVILLE: Since the World Juniors, goodness you weren’t kidding about being a Hollander fan!

MYSTERY FAN: Yes. Technically since summer before rookie year. He was... [pause] ...very annoying. Even then. Always in the right position. Always knowing where the puck would be before it got there. Highest hockey IQ in the league. Very frustrating to play against for other teams. Even more frustrating when his linemates cannot keep up.

VERVILLE: You sound like you’re speaking from experience. Do you play hockey, then?

MYSTERY FAN: A little.

VERVILLE: In that blanket?

MYSTERY FAN: Obviously I do not wear the blanket when I play hockey. That would be ridiculous.

VERVILLE: And you’re wearing the blanket now because...?

MYSTERY FAN: My… coworkers… would kill me if they saw me here.

VERVILLE: Oh! Are they big Toronto fans then?

MYSTERY FAN: Worse. They are very passionate about Boston.

VERVILLE: Boston, of course. Montreal’s favorite enemy. You don’t walk around this city in the wrong colors unless you want a beer thrown at you and if you go home, they’d probably throw you in the harbor for wearing that Hollander jersey. I can see why you’d want to stay anonymous. You work in Boston?

MYSTERY FAN: I live in Boston.

VERVILLE: [laughing] Your secret is safe with me, I assure you. And all the fans of WLOC Montreal. Still, that’s quite a commitment, traveling all this way to see a rival team play a home game.

MYSTERY FAN: [shrugging] Some things are worth it. Even if people back home would never forgive you. Hollander is... [long pause] ...the best player in the league. Best center. Best captain. Extremely dedicated. Never takes shortcuts. Works harder than anyone. Even when no one is watching, he is still—[catches himself]—I assume. I assume he works hard when no one is watching. Based on his performance statistics.

VERVILLE: Which you seem to know very well.

MYSTERY FAN: Which are public.

VERVILLE: Well, then, as a secret Bostonian here in Montreal, what would you say to people who argue that the Boston Raiders’ Ilya Rozanov is the better player?

MYSTERY FAN: [snorts] I think that—ah. Rozanov is incredible player. Obviously. Beat Hollander for first draft pick. Handsome and scores very pretty goals. Everyone loves that, but… I admit that he takes stupid penalties and makes lazy defensive plays.

VERVILLE: That’s interesting, many people consider his aggressive style to be what brought the Raiders to their cup in 2013.

MYSTERY FAN: But it was not enough in 2014 or 2015. Or that series everyone in Boston pretends not to remember. No. Hollander does the work that actually wins games. He reads the ice better. He is harder to play against because he is quiet. Rozanov is barking and snarls and teeth and fighting. The fans cheer for him and boo for him because they already know he will find, or make, problems for the other team. Hollander does not need to do this to win. And Rozanov’s playoff record against Hollander is—[waves hand dismissively]—as I have said, not good. Rozanov would tell you this himself, if he were being honest, but… I think it is well known that this is not in his nature. [pause] And interviews—well. Hollander is very boring. Most boring man in the league. Just the same thing every time. Work hard. One game at a time. Weak backhand. Terrible quotes. Just repeats the same thing about working hard and taking it one game at a time first in English, then in his pretty French.

VERVILLE: [laughing again] Wait, so you’re a Hollander fan but you think he’s boring?

MYSTERY FAN: Very boring. I do not know why I drove four hours to see him play. It is a mystery.

VERVILLE: What about his teammates?

MYSTERY FAN: What about them?

VERVILLE: Well… you have such strong opinions about Hollander’s game, what about the rest of the team. Like alternate captain Hayden Pike?

MYSTERY FAN: [snorts] Pike? I do not waste brain cells thinking about him. Hollander makes Pike look better than he is. Without Hollander, Pike would be middle-six player on bad team at best. Maybe. He is better as a father of fourteen hundred children.

VERVILLE: That’s a pretty harsh assessment of a multiple All-Star.

MYSTERY FAN: Also his voice is annoying. Like angry goose.

VERVILLE: [laughing] I—okay. You know, your voice sounds sort of familiar. Have we met? I feel like I’ve interviewed—

MYSTERY FAN: Excuse me, I have to go now. Good seats. Close to the glass. I want to see his edges.

VERVILLE: His edges?

MYSTERY FAN: Hollander. His skating. The way he—[stops]—for hockey reasons. Goodbye.

[He turns and strides away. The gait is athletic, long-legged. The blanket billows behind him like a cape. Camera follows the pink fur bobbing above the crowd—he towers over everyone around him—until it vanishes through a side entrance marked PREMIUM SEATING.]

Comments (4,127)

Sort by: Top

stillthinking “I want to see his edges” is the most unhinged insane specifically stupid thing anyone has ever said on local news and that includes the guy who fought a raccoon 🦝

^{👍 6.1K | Reply}

skate_tech_nerd okay but like... Hollander DOES have beautiful edges. this person knows skating

^{👍 2.1K | Reply}

itsyatype I love that he thought rhinestone sunglasses would make this LESS suspicious. “Yes, I am a normal human man in a pink blanket and glittery women’s eyewear, do not mind me.”✨💅🏻

^{👍 6.1K | Reply}

fabricsoftener99 the blanket stopping well above his ankles is sending me 😭😭😭sir you are like 6’3” that is a throw blanket at BEST

^{👍 1.8K | Reply}

oldschoolfan_87 this person clearly watches a LOT of hockey.

^{👍 892 | Reply}

habs_forever “Hollander does the work that actually wins games” THANK YOU. sick of people acting like flashy goals are everything. Even the "Mystery Fan" knows Shane is the better captain.

^{👍 2.7K | Reply}

bear_necessities okay but Rozanov’s playoff record speaks for itself. one cup vs Shane’s three. those are just facts

^{👍 1.9K | Reply}

stat_nerd_99 🧐 whoever this is isn’t wrong about the neutral zone interceptions. Hollander’s defensive game is underrated

^{👍 1.2K | Reply}

allaboutcake There is no way a real Raiders fan just said Rozanov is ‘lazy on defense.’ 🤬😠That man is our Captain. This ‘Mystery Fan’ is a plant or Ilya is having a mid-life crisis.

^{👍 4.3K | Reply}

seriouslythough Has anyone checked if Rozanov was at practice yesterday?

^{👍 892 | Reply}

21corgis1apartment he was listed as “personal day” which literally never happens so.

^{👍 743 | Reply}

hockeystats101 this proves nothing. players take personal days. maybe he had a dentist appointment.

^{👍 445 | Reply}

21corgis1apartment yes i’m sure he went to the dentist and then drove four hours to montreal and put on a pink blanket. that’s definitely what happened.

^{👍 1.2K | Reply}

seriouslythough what? 👀

^{👍 811 | Reply}

21corgis1apartment i said what i said

^{👍 765 | Reply}

seriouslythough Why are you even saying that though? That’s not him

^{👍 412 | Reply}

raiders_recon If this IS Rozanov, it’s 100% a scouting mission. He’s obsessive. It’s psychological warfare.

^{👍 3.4K | Reply}

puck_bunny_hater ^ This. Ilya is the king of mind games. Imagine looking up from the ice and seeing your rival just… there. You’d be so confused you’d miss every pass. It’s genius.

^{👍 2.2K | Reply}

paboreal “I do not know why I drove four hours to see him play. It is a mystery.” GIRL 😂

^{👍 5.9K | Reply}

shane24stan He’s pining. I don't care what the "rivalry" says, that is the voice of a man who is obsessed. the way he said “the way he—” and then STOPPED. what was he gonna say. THE WAY HE WHAT.

^{👍 3.4K | Reply}

ilaboringcanadian you’re right. it’s completely normal to disguise yourself in a hotel blanket to attend a hockey game. 👻👻👻 very common behavior. happens all the time.

^{👍 2.7K | Reply}

shane24stan Did anyone else catch that massive pause before he started praising Hollander's work ethic? He sounded like he was trying not to say he's in love with the guy's face. 🤨 #BlanketMan #Hollanov

^👍 1.2.7K | Reply

conspiracy_corner okay, real talk: trade rumors? Is Ilya demanding a trade to Montreal? Why else would he be in a Hollander jersey? Maybe the "coworkers" he's afraid of are the Boston front office.

^{👍 4.1K | Reply}

realist_47 @conspiracy_corner you’re actually insane. Boston would fold before they traded their captain to the Metros. He’s probably just there to heckle and got caught.

^{👍 3.1K | Reply}

casualfan2020 i don’t get it why is everyone freaking out

^{👍 203 | Reply}

paboreal ok so imagine the two most famous rivals in hockey. imagine one of them showed up to the other’s game in a blanket with eyeholes cut in it.

^{👍 892 | Reply}

casualfan2020 wait do people actually think this is rozanov??

^{👍 287 | Reply}

seriouslythough no one with a functioning brain does

^{👍 972 | Reply}

hockeyislife2003 it’s obviously not rozanov why would rozanov go to a metros game in a hollander jersey. they literally hate each other. this is just some tall guy with an accent.

^{👍 1.4K | Reply}

oldschoolmtl Boston players think about Montreal more than they admit. It’s their problem, not ours.

^{👍 1.6 | Reply}

paboreal okay but consider: the height. the accent. the way he corrected that leafs fan with EXACT STATS. the designer shoes. the “I play a little hockey” when asked about playing against hollander. THE PREMIUM SEATING.

^{👍 2.3K | Reply}

realist_47 consider: you’re insane. rozanov and hollander have been rivals for over a decade. rozanov has shit on Hollander in like fifteen interviews in a row. why would he drive four hours to watch him play.

^{👍 3.1K | Reply}

detectivemodeON he ALSO called hollander’s backhand weak in an interview a few weeks back!! he’s distributing his own propaganda while literally wearing the man's name on his back. The level of pettiness is aspirational. ✨

^{👍 1.8K | Reply}

realist_47 least deranged hollanov truther

^{👍 4.2K | Reply}

voicesofreason I think we’re overthinking it. It’s a tall Russian guy who clearly thinks he’s smarter than everyone. So... okay, maybe it is Ilya. 😂

^{👍 5.7K | Reply}

normalfan why is no one talking about how he RATTLED OFF hollander’s zone entry stats from memory while correcting a random leafs fan. that’s not normal fan behavior. that’s like a personal grudge.

^{👍 3.8K | Reply}

conspiracy_corner the rhinestone sunglasses are sold at the bell centre gift shop. which means he bought them THERE. which means he showed up to the arena without a disguise and had to improvise. which means this was NOT PLANNED.

^{👍 2.9K | Reply}

voicesofreason or—hear me out—he’s just a weird guy who wanted to stay anonymous. not everything is a conspiracy.

^{👍 1.7K | Reply}

Trending in Canada: #BlanketMan #GoosePike

@BradHammersmith ✓

@IlyaRozanov I’ll be damned GUCCI GET YOUR ASS HOME! PEOPLE BEEN CALLING MY PHONE

^{❤️ 42.1K 🔁 7.2K 💬 2.4K}

@RyanCarmichael ✓

@IlyaRozanov Uh, Roz? That you?

^{❤️ 28.5K 🔁 3.1K 💬 1.8K}

@CliffMarleau ✓

@IlyaRozanov I’m looking at a video of a pink marshmallow that sounds exactly like you. Care to explain why you’re in Montreal?

^{❤️ 51.4K 🔁 11.2K 💬 3.9K}

↳ @IlyaRozanov ✓

Stop tagging me in this. I do not care about some guy in a blanket.

^{❤️ 64.8K 🔁 14.5K 💬 5.2K}

↳@CliffMarleau ✓

@IlyaRozanov please just tell me you’re just there to get like insider intel from behind enemy lines

^{❤️ 32.7K 🔁 4.3K 💬 1.5K}

@hayden_pike_official ✓

my voice is NOT like an angry goose. my kids appreciate that I have a normal amount of children (4). also my plus/minus is +18 this season so whoever this was should maybe watch more hockey

^{❤️ 24.1K 🔁 5.8K 💬 4.2K}

↳ @shane_hollander24 ✓

you do honk a little sometimes

^{❤️ 82.3K 🔁 22.1K 💬 6.8K}

↳ @hayden_pike_official ✓

SHANE

Also fucking control your fans

^{❤️ 38.4K 🔁 7.2K 💬 3.1K}

↳ @IlyaRozanov ✓

And @hayden_pike_official, you don’t sound like goose. You sound like THREE geese in a trench coat. Stop complaining and go practice your backcheck.

^{❤️ 94.6K 🔁 28.4K 💬 8.2K}

@shane_hollander24 ✓

@IlyaRozanov How were my edges

^{❤️ 112.4K 🔁 31.2K 💬 12.5K}

↳ @IlyaRozanov ✓

@shane_hollander24

Always boring

^{❤️ 108.9K 🔁 34.7K 💬 15.1K}

↳ @RoseLandry ✓

@shane_hollander24

I thought you looked great Shaney!

^{❤️ 112.4K 🔁 31.2K 💬 12.5K}

↳ @IlyaRozanov ✓

@RoseLandry

^{❤️ 114.3K 🔁 28.4K 💬 8.2K}

↳ @hayden_pike_official ✓

@IlyaRozanov You fucker it WAS you wasn’t it!

^{❤️ 45.2K 🔁 8.4K 💬 5.7K}

↳ @IlyaRozanov ✓

@hayden_pike_official

^{❤️ 125.7K 🔁 42.1K 💬 9.8K}

WLOC MONTREAL

LOCAL | SPORTS | VIRAL

UPDATE

By Sebastien Verville | September 15, 2019 | 2:30 PM EST

The Metros defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 last night in what can only be described as a dominant performance from captain Shane Hollander, who recorded a hat trick—his first of the preseason.

Hollander, who has been characteristically private about his personal life, declined to comment on the viral video when asked by reporters after the game. “I’m just here to play hockey,” he said, though witnesses report he was “trying very hard not to smile.”

When pressed about whether he knew the identity of the mysterious fan, Hollander responded: “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Can we talk about the game? If not, I should go, I have—ah—I’m meeting with someone.”

When questioned on whether or not that ‘someone’ was Rose Landry, Hollander declined to clarify.

The Bell Centre gift shop reports they have sold out of rhinestone sunglasses.

[ 6.1M Views ] [ 👍 2.2M ] [ 🔁 1.3M ] [ 💬 7,285 ] [ 🔗 Share ]

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