Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry (TV)

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Hayden Pike, Zane Boodram, Luca Haas, Evan Dykstra

Additional Tags:

Social Media, Twitter, Press and Tabloids, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, One Shot

Language:

English

Series:

Part 4 of Hit Post

Stats:

Published: 2025-12-24 Words: 3,391 Chapters: 1/1

The Montréal Voyageurs Report

Summary

ESPN ✅ @espn

With a new #24, the Montreal Voyageurs are finally ready to forget Shane Hollander

Notes

• Translation into Русский available: Отчет Монреальских Вояджеров by Fandom_Mouse

NHL clown patrol @leagueofbozos
“FORGET SHANE HOLLANDER” ????? @ESPN @VoyageursMontreal is it crack? Is that what you smoke? You smoke crack?

toronto sufferer @guardiansaremycurse
Replying to @leagueofbozos
i <3 vagueposting as much as the next guy but can you give some context

NHL clown patrol @leagueofbozos
Replying to @leagueofbozos @guardiansaremycurse
the new montreal first round draft pick apparently thinks he’s god’s gift to hockey and has chosen to play under #24

toronto sufferer @guardiansaremycurse
Replying to @leagueofbozos
ur kidding

NHL clown patrol @leagueofbozos
Replying to @leagueofbozos @guardiansaremycurse
girl i wish i was https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/4734…

ESPN

With a new #24, the Montreal Voyageurs are finally ready to forget Shane Hollander

This will be the second season since Shane Hollander, once celebrated as a legendary captain who helped forge a hockey dynasty at the Bell Centre, laced up his skates for the last time in Montreal and requested a trade to Ottawa. Now, the Voyageurs seem ready to close that chapter, but not without raising a few eyebrows. Their newest forward, drafted sixth overall from Boston University, will take to the ice wearing… number 24. It’s a bold, controversial sign that Montreal might actually be ready to move on from Shane Hollander. The real question now is whether the team can truly manage without him.

By Staff Writer

-

For many fans who assumed that Hollander’s 24 would be (unofficially) retired by the Voyageurs, seeing that number back on the ice will sting. Hollander’s tenure was defined by grit, leadership, and three glorious championship banners raised to the rafters. He wasn’t just their star center and captain, he was the face of a dynasty. That’s why the decision to hand his number over to a rookie feels less like a coincidence and more like a statement: the Voyageurs are done living in the past.

Matthew Campbell, a rookie from Boston University whose name has been buzzing around the league since well before draft day, insists he isn’t trying to replace anyone. In his first press junket, he assured reporters that his choice of number had “nothing to do with Shane Hollander” but called it “an honor to wear a number associated with greatness” nonetheless, emphasizing that he hopes to build something new in Montreal. Still, comparisons will be inevitable the moment he steps onto the Bell Centre ice.

From inside the organization, the message is clear. This is a new core, a new identity, and a new window to contend for the Voyageurs. Head coach Theriault has continually preached patience since Hollander’s unexpected departure, slowly building a new roster and proclaiming time and time again that a rebuild doesn't happen overnight. 

Whether fans are ready to accept that is another story. Hollander’s highlights still play on the jumbotron, his jerseys still dot the crowd, and his name still sparks heavy debates every time Ottawa comes to town. Healing, in hockey towns, doesn’t happen overnight, especially since Hollander is considered to be a generational talent whose absence has been sorely felt this last season.

As training camp begins and a new season is on the horizon, the Voyageurs are betting on their roster of extremely young, talents. If these kids can take the next step and make the play-offs again, the number 24 might eventually come to represent hope again instead of heartbreak.

For better or worse, Montreal is turning the page. Now comes the hard part: proving that the story ahead can be just as memorable as the one they’re trying to leave behind.

rip montreal voyageurs @rebecca_jones
I can’t believe they gave Shane’s number away. I’m genuinely upset.

Jonah @rozanderluvr
Replying to @rebecca_jones
Not to be a dick but who the fuck does that child think he is

ELI @rooooselandry
Welcome to Montreal: where legacy goes to die

syd @slapshotsecrets
Replying to @rooooselandry
“Rookie inherits a legacy” child inherits mountain of pressure

ELI @rooooselandry
Replying to @rooooselandry @slapshotsecrets
fr who allowed this, this is fucking deranged

Joseph @cenzforlife
i’m so devastated and there isn’t even a way to blame this on hayden pike right now

Joseph @cenzforlife
Replying to @cenzforlife
no fuck that i have to stay true to myself @HaydenPike you motherfucker

bren @brenstweets
genuinely what the fuck are they trying to achieve with this? It’s not going to get them good PR, it’s not going to get them new fans and everybody will be constantly comparing the new kid to hollander and he’s obviously nowhere near hollander’s level

Jonas Smith @JSmith_7
it’s genuinely impossible to be a voyageurs fan because their whole brand right now is “fuck shane hollander ugh we hate him we don’t even need him” and then not make it to the play-offs for the second year in a row

Alison DiSwagRentis @nosila444
and is this new Montreal Voyageurs gayboy also going to start fucking his archrival? if not i am Not interested! sorry baby but you can’t outdo the doer

Ellie 🩷🏒 @snelliee
@VoyageursMontreal and where do you shop? Forever 24? or Shane Hollander’s closet?

Graceeee @BarrettBabey
The Voyageurs don’t even go from “it’s so over” to “we’re so back” they go from “it’s so over” to “it’s never been more over” to “we are never coming back” to “i can't believe it could be as over as it is now”

Hockey Hot Takes 🔥 @joshknowspuck
That Voyageurs rookie wearing #24 is like putting a toddler in Michael Jordan’s sneakers. Funny? Sure. Cute? Maybe. But ultimately nothing to take too seriously.

Sports Illustrated ✅ @SInow
The “First Husbands of Hockey,” @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer and @Rozanov81, weigh in on winning the Stanley Cup together - and, of course, debate who scores the more beautiful goals. https://www.si.com/nhl/at-the-center-of-it-a…

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

At the Center of It All: Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s Unforgettable Run in Ottawa

By Joanie Wentz

Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander are names that have been praised - and cursed - by every tongue in the League. They are the engines behind their championship team, both having already carried previous franchises to Stanley Cup glory (Hollander three times over), and now standing as champions once again. Teammates call them the heartbeat of the room. Fans call them legends.

On the ice, they rarely play the same shift. Two top centers mean the Centaurs can roll waves of pressure, forcing opponents to pick their poison. Rozanov brings power and precision to the first line, a 6-foot-3 force who owns the middle of the ice, dominant in the faceoff circle and ruthless below the dots. Hollander counters with speed and imagination on the second, turning broken plays into scoring chances with a flick of his wrists and a quick cut through traffic. He is often found flying over the ice at a terrifying velocity , executing plays that opposing players can’t even fathom possible. Different styles, same result: absolute dominance and control.

Together, they piled points up all season, culminating in a dazzling playoff run. Big goals. Late defensive stands. Overtime moments that will go down in franchise history. Every pass, every hit, every clutch play seemed to announce one thing: these two were crafting a chapter of NHL history that would not soon be forgotten.

A little over three weeks after the Cup came home to Ottawa, the high still hadn’t worn off for Rozanov and Hollander, who invited us to their Ontario “cottage” for their very first joint interview. While Rozanov gives a tour of the living room and acquaints us with their adorable dog Anya, Hollander is in the kitchen brewing a pot of coffee. It’s strangely quiet and domestic, the kind of scene you’d expect from an ordinary married couple. But after nearly a decade of heated rivalry, no one expects normal from these two.

“It certainly wasn’t love at first sight,” Hollander laughs. “He was smoking outside the rink in Saskatchewan [at World Juniors where they met], and when I tried to introduce myself, and politely inform him that he was not allowed to smoke there, he was really rude.”

Rozanov frowns, mock-offended. “I was flirting.”

Hollander smacks him on the arm. “Fuck off. You were not.”

“Yes I was,” Rozanov says, scooping their dog Anya up from off the floor, “it’s called pulling pigs, Hollander. Never heard of it?”

“Pulling pigtails, yes. Now put Anya down - she’s not allowed on the couch.”

“This is why she likes me better, Hollander.”

Watching their constant back-and-forth, it’s easy to see why they were one of the most famous rivalries in NHL history. This up until two years ago, when their relationship was finally made public - against their will.

You’d be hard pressed to find a hockey fan that has not seen the infamous video of Hollander and Rozanov locked in an intimate embrace, accidentally shared in a FanMail clip by Hollander’s best friend and former teammate, Hayden Pike. The footage stunned the hockey world: no one had suspected anything beyond their legendary on-ice rivalry and maybe a begrudging friendship they maintained for the sake of their shared charity work.

“We don’t hold it against Hayden at all, but it definitely was the worst day of my life”, Hollander grimaces, fidgeting with his wedding ring. “We had been planning to come out that summer, finally tell everybody, and then something like that happens.”

“I can’t lie, at the same time, it was a huge relief”, Rozanov adds. “I of course had a team that supported me through it all, so that was easier. But not having to hide anymore was so nice. Maintaining the appearance of a single lifestyle while you’ve been in a committed relationship for years is draining. Lying to your friends and your team is really, really hard.”

When pressed about the exact timeline of their relationship, they politely steer away from specifics. “The details are private, of course”, Hollander says. “But it had been years at that point.”

After both being knocked out of the playoffs that year, Hollander’s Voyageurs in the first round and Rozanov’s Centaurs in the second, they got married. But was the marriage the real reason Hollander left the team he had captained to three Stanley Cups?

“No, before we got outed, there was no talk of a transfer. I also don’t know if I left as much as I was pushed out”, Hollander says, quietly. “I don’t want to get into specifics, but I had always imagined retiring as a Voyageur. I loved playing for Montreal. I dreamed of my number going up in the rafters there.”

It’s Hollander’s number that has been making headlines over the past few days, after shockingly already being reassigned to a rookie. For a player who spent over a decade cementing his legacy in Montreal, seeing his number on someone else is a shock for many fans.

Hollander refuses to comment beyond wishing the rookie good luck. Rozanov, on the other hand, has no such reservations.

“They’re ridiculous”, he says, waving his hand dismissively. “They aren't able to make the playoffs without Shane, and now they have to turn every little thing into a circus just to get a smidge of attention. Good luck to Mister Rookie and his delusions of grandeur. It will not last.”

And they would know something about lasting in the NHL. You could consider them both veterans at this point, starting their careers in 2010 with no sign of slowing down.

Rozanov bristles at the suggestion of age. “I do not consider myself old. Yes, of course, there are old players in the league, but it is not me. Scott Hunter, for example, is a fossil and should have retired ten seasons ago.”

“Well… When you’re done, you’re done, you know”, Hollander says, shrugging. “We both feel the need to make the most out of being able to play together before we retire. Luckily, I feel like I still have some good hockey left in me.”

And play together, they did. This past season was the ultimate test, with all eyes on them. Critics weren’t holding their breath: even if Hollander and Rozanov were determined to prove, once and for all, that they were the league’s best players as a pair, the Centaurs seemed destined to crash and burn, just like in all the years prior.

They proved everyone wrong, of course.

By the time the final horn sounded, the bench had emptied. Gloves and helmets lay scattered across the rink. At center ice, Hollander and Rozanov found each other amid the chaos. They kissed, and then embraced, foreheads pressed together, in a moment captured in a photograph that circled the globe and will surely earn its spot on several “Most Important Photographs of the Year” lists come December.

It couldn’t have been more perfect for Ottawa, a city that had waited decades for this moment. A victory driven by the force of a hometown hero, side by side with the man he loved.

Hollander and Rozanov are quick to deflect credit. Luca Haas, the Swiss boy wonder, scored the winning goal. Their defense was top-tier. And they are nothing without their goalie, Wyatt Hayes, who Hollander insists “plays like a God”. Accolades go to coach Brandon Wiebe, the locker room, the physios, the staff, the entire team. But inside the organization, there’s no doubt: this Cup has Rozanov and Hollander’s fingerprints all over it.

And yet, even in celebration, the competitor never leaves.

“We enjoy it,” Rozanov says, glancing at Hollander. “But you can’t forget how hard it was. That’s what makes you want to do it again. You give up so much in the months leading up to that final. Shane hadn’t eaten a carb in so long, he forgot what bread looks like.”

“Just because you have no discipline-” Hollander starts, before being silenced by Rozanov’s hand.

“I have the most discipline, I am made out of discipline”, Rozanov says, keeping his hand firmly over a struggling Hollander’s mouth. “But discipline got a little easier when I finally got to play with my beautiful husband.”

Hollander affirms this begrudgingly, when Rozanov finally lets go. “It’s true”, he shrugs while shooting Rozanov a dirty look, “early mornings aren’t so hard anymore now that we get to wake up together.”

We sip our coffee, watching their private lake stretch out before us. So, what’s next for the First Husbands of Hockey?

“A quiet summer”, Hollander says. “Not too much training, not too many people.”

“No internet bullshit”, Rozanov adds. It’s worth noting that he has gone viral three times over the last couple months. “Phones go in the drawer. All summer long.”

When asked how it felt going viral, Rozanov scoffs.

“It would be nice to go viral because of my beautiful goals”, he says, “but it is always something so stupid. Brother yaps to some tabloid. Boom, one hundred thousand tweets. Commissioner Crowell gets exposed for being a homophobe. Boom, another hundred thousand. I sent my husband one little text and internet is on fire.”

Hollander shakes his head, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “He exaggerates, of course. But yeah, the internet loses its mind over the dumbest things. Meanwhile, even my beautiful goals don’t get the attention they deserve.”

“Your beautiful goals?” Rozanov chirps. “I have not seen any goals that are better than mine. Remind me again, who won the Conn Smythe?”

“I’m sorry”, Hollander scoffs, “Who scored twice during Game 5 in finals? Whose goal made the ESPN highlights? Who won the Hart trophy and the Art Ross?”

“Okay, okay, I give up. You have more beautiful goals”, Rozanov says. “It’s okay because I have a very large, very beautiful—”

“Hey!” Hollander interrupts, laughing.

“Smile,” Rozanov teases, leaning in with a mischievous grin and kissing his husband on the cheek.

They're quiet for a moment, the tranquility of their remote cottage wrapping around them like a blanket. Outside, loons are calling, which makes Rozanov cackle for some reason. Inside, it’s clearly just them, not two champions but two partners, who have rewritten the rules both on and off the ice.

“You know, for years it was about proving ourselves and competition”, Hollander says softly, “Who is the better player? Who can get their team to the final? A lot of other superficial bullshit. Now we can enjoy it all together. That feels like a victory in and of itself.”

For Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the game will always go on. The records may continue to tumble, the highlights may fill the reels, and the world may continue to watch, but this, right here, is the center of it all.

Louis @voyageursfan24
“Good luck to mister rookie and his delusions of grandeur” oh boy who gave peepaw the mic

Tara  🏹🐎 @tarantulaaa
Replying to @voyageursfan24
Didn’t peepaw knock your team out of the playoffs in four games last season

riri @boodslut
“A very large, very beautiful” ilya rozanov i know what you are

Dustin @dustinonthebeat
Replying to @boodslut
Omg girl what is he

riri @boodslut
Replying to @boodslut @dustinonthebeat
whore

the tortured pussy department @taylorsnhl
I’m sorry, why are we all glossing over the fact that Shane said that he “didn’t leave as much as he was pushed out”???? Hellooo????? 

Veronique @sticksidehoe
Replying to @taylorsnhl
What can i say, i’m disappointed but not surprised

Kian @gaymayflower
Replying to @taylorsnhl @sidestickhoe
Yeah as sad as it sounds, it was soooo clear that the Voyageurs stopped having that magic in their play as soon as Hollanov was outed.

Viv @catparent
Replying to @taylorsnhl @sidestickhoe @gaymayflower
Also, only Pike and Boiziau came to Hollander’s wedding :(( i would leave too

Joseph @cenzforlife
Replying to @taylorsnhl @sidestickhoe @gaymayflower @catparent
Damn imagine being traumatically outed AND having to put up with Hayden Pike at your wedding

Hayden Pike ✅ @HaydenPike
Replying to @taylorsnhl @sidestickhoe @gaymayflower @catparent @cenzforlife
Young man I have had it with you

Sasha @rozanovtopia
“Early mornings aren’t so hard anymore” I’m fucking ugly crying

Voyageurs Montréal ✅ @VoyageursMontreal
We are deeply disappointed by the comments made by @rozanov81 about 18-year-old Matthew Campbell in his profile in Sports Illustrated. Publicly criticizing a rookie is uncalled for, and Rozanov’s remarks are completely out of line. While he plays for another organization, we want to make it clear that the Montreal Voyageurs will always prioritize the safety, development, and dignity of our young players.

Voyageurs Montréal ✅ @VoyageursMontreal
Replying to @VoyageursMontreal
Nous sommes profondément désappointés par les commentaires faits par @rozanov81 au sujet de Matthew Campbell, âgé de 18 ans, dans son profil publié dans Sports Illustrated. Critiquer publiquement un joueur novice est déplacé, et les remarques de Rozanov sont totalement inappropriées. Même s'il joue pour une autre organisation, nous tenons à préciser que les Voyageurs de Montréal auront toujours à cœur la sécurité, le développement et la dignité de nos jeunes joueurs.

Willa @rozwhore
Replying to @VoyageursMontreal
Any comments on other statements made in that article?? Such as… i don’t know… Shane saying he felt pushed out by your team? “We prioritize the dignity of our players” my ass

mads 🏒💔 @goaliegirlie
Replying to @VoyageursMontreal @rozwhore 
OH SO THEY CAN DISH IT BUT CAN’T TAKE IT

Harris Drover @HarrisDCentaurs
Can I get one month off. One month where nothing happens. Please God please

Ilya Rozanov ✅ @Rozanov81
Replying to @HarrisDCentaurs
Sorry Harris

Ottawa Centaurs ✅ @OttawaCentaurs
We deeply regret that another team takes offense to the comments that our captain Ilya Rozanov made during an interview with Sports Illustrated. However it needs to be said that if some franchises were as invested in their roster as they are in lighthearted criticism from our players, maybe they would have made the playoffs #GoCens

Shane Hollander ✅ @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
I don’t care that they gave away my number. I wish the kid the absolute best. Just hope he gets the backing I didn’t when things got inconvenient.

Shane Hollander ✅ @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
Replying to @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
Crazy what people find “out of line” once it’s not helping them win games. They used to love Rozanov running his mouth when it got them press.

Shane Hollander ✅ @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
Replying to @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
You keep the number and we keep the Stanley Cup. Fair?

Zane Boodram ✅ @BoodZane
Replying to @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
#My24

Luca Haas ✅ @LucaHaasSchwiiz
Replying to @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
#My24

Evan Dykstra ✅ @EDykstraCenz
Replying to @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
#My24

Troy Barrett Centaurs ✅ @TBarrett17
Replying to @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
#My24

Ilya Rozanov ✅ @Rozanov81
Replying to @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
#My24 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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