Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

Heated Rivalry (TV)

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Montreal Voyageurs | Montreal Metros Team Ensemble (Game Changers)

Additional Tags:

Montreal Voyageurs | Montreal Metros Being Assholes (Game Changers), POV Outsider

Language:

English

Series:

Part 1 of Heated on ice

Stats:

Published: 2026-01-27 Words: 3,998 Chapters: 1/1

Live in HockeyPuck

Summary

After Shane and Ilya were outed through fan mail, they were still playing games on ice and fighting for a playoff spot in the regular season. They faced disappointed fans, hostile teammates, and a world that no longer felt like it belonged to them.

Ilya was fortunate enough to be traded to Ottawa—
a team widely regarded around the league as one of the most openly gay-friendly locker rooms in hockey.

Shane was not.

The Voyageurs made their position clear—not through words, but through their actions on the ice.

or

In two games, the television commentators witnessed Shane being iced out by his own team
isolated, ignored, and left exposed shift after shift.
This wasn’t a mistake.
It wasn’t a coincidence.

It was bullying

Notes

Although I’ve seen some spoilers, I haven’t actually watched The Long Game yet, so the timeline here is a bit scrambled.

I mainly fell down the rabbit hole recently with watching some F1 TR cuts, and honestly, I couldn’t stop laughing. That’s what inspired me to write this as a little tribute to the legendary Red Circus.

The reference resources were mostly from TR and the interviews. There’s probably going to be a second part—but we’ll see how it goes.

English is my second language. If there are any mistakes or typos, leave a message, and I will fix them ;)

 

🔗 中文翻译版本在这里

---

[ Commentary Booth ]

---

Jason:
Good evening, hockey fans! Welcome to tonight’s episode of HockeyPuck Live. I’m Jason.

Max:
And I’m Max. Tonight we’re at the Bell Centre in Montreal for the Voyageurs hosting the Detroit Red Wings. The arena is packed on both sides and the atmosphere is, as ever, fiery and intense.

Jason:
That’s right, Max. You can see the Detroit Red Wings warming up down on the ice right now. and, Oh man… I hate to mention but the Red Wings have been in a rough patch lately, haha.

Max:
Careful what you say, we still have a good number of Red Wings fans tuning in to our channel.

Jason:
I mean, just look at the numbers: Only 12 shots on goal so far, and their defensive breakdown rate is sitting at 1.2. For context, that number should be closer to 0.7. That’s a huge, huge red flag. Their transitions through the neutral zone look more like a group project without a group chat, and the gaps in their defense, oh boy...
It’s not that they’re not trying, but man, the coordination just isn’t there right now.

Max:
Voyageurs, on the other hand: back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, a traditional powerhouse, led by star captain Shane Hollander. On home ice tonight, we should expect them to play a smooth offensive game.

Jason:
Speaking of Shane… we’ve gotten a lot of fan questions about him. Just to be clear: any personal matters off the ice are not within this broadcast’s scope. As commentators, we focus strictly on on-ice performance.

Max:
Exactly. What happens off the ice stays off the ice. And now, we can see both teams have finished their circle salute at center ice, the ref drops the puck, and the game is officially underway!

---

[ 1st Period — 8:30]

---

Jason:
We’re past the midpoint of the first period and it’s still 0–0.
The pace feels off here—this isn’t the kind of game you’d expect the home team to be dictating. The building is awfully quiet, fans slumped in their seats
I bet someone’s regretting not bringing a double double.

Max:
I think I just saw a guy in the third row yawning, Jason.

Jason:
Voyageurs are playing very conservatively tonight. They’ve collapsed their formation deep, basically compressing their defense to about thirty feet in front of their own net. And Detroit, having learned from recent games, isn’t blindly charging territory — they’re prioritizing protecting their own crease… So this period is slowly turning into a bit of a laid-back chess game.

Max:
And have you noticed? Shane Hollander hasn’t been on the ice once yet.

Jason:
Exactly. For the team’s top playmaker not to see the ice this deep into the first period, it’s already raising eyebrows. He’s down at the far end of the bench, leaning forward, hands clasped. He’s popped up twice now, even motioned toward the coaching staff… and still, nothing.

Max:
You’d normally expect to have seen him out there two or three times by now. Makes you wonder if there’s something different the coaching staff is trying tonight.

Jason:
The camera’s on Shane Hollander side right now. You can see him locked in, eyes following the play, a serious look on his face
Back on the ice, Detroit is trying to push the pace through the middle, but the Voyageurs are smothering that lane. Puck possession is being battled for, but so far, no real Grade-A chances.
Oh! Detroit’s captain John picks off the puck and drives ahead
but he’s met immediately by Comeau with a solid body check! They’re tied up along the boards, the puck gets jammed underneath… and the referee blows the play dead.

Max:
We’re getting late in this first period now, and Shane Hollander just stood up again. He takes a quick look at the clock, gives a nod toward the bench. The coach responds with a raised hand… but once again, no change.

---

[1st Period — 3:42]

---

Jason:
Finally! Shane Hollander hops over the boards. Blades hit the ice and he’s moving right away. Clean first stride, takes the puck along the right wall, full control, smooth acceleration. He stays low, center of gravity down—exactly the way he likes it.

Max:
Shane’s movement out there is elegant and rhythmic, just like we’ve come to expect. Watch the shoulders—almost no wasted motion. The knees bend in smooth, efficient arcs, everything flowing together. And that puck control, elite skating mechanics on full display

Jason:
He’s deliberately managing pace, a light shift around the first defender — he lifts his head to look for a support pass right ahead. Any Voyageurs fan familiar with their system knows this look.
But Detroit isn’t letting him have it. The defense immediately presses! Their captain comes in from the side to support
Puck turned over! and the Red Wings are coming back the other way!

Max:
Shane gives a quick stick tap, signaling the backcheck, but Kolya on the left side is already caught too deep. He just can’t keep up with Shane’s pace on the recovery.

Jason:
Detroit’s right wing Peter cuts into the slot with almost no pressure
But Shane comes flying back from behind, gets right on his hands, trying to disrupts it
But Peter still lets it go....Save made by Drapeau!
Take another look at the replay here
Peter’s shot was actually forced. Shane was already there and ready to steal it.
But the play never should’ve gotten that far. Where’s the defenseman on that one? There’s no support in the slot before Shane gets back, and you can see him signaling it early. The breakdown happens well before the shot is ever taken.

Max:
That’s a coverage issue. If Shane doesn’t get back in time and make that disruption, that’s a clean look from the slot, and you’re probably talking about a goal.

Jason:
The first period comes to an end and we’re still scoreless at 0–0. At this point, you’re hoping Shane can help bring some rhythm into this game—because right now, the Voyageurs are doing Detroit a favor by dragging them down into their pace.

---

[ 2nd Period — 20:00]

---

Jason:
Second period underway, and Shane Hollander jumps out for the opening shift. Faceoff win, immediate accelerate, No hesitation at all. He threads the needle, draws two defenders with him, stops up quickly and looks to the right, clearly waiting for the winger to fill.

Max:
That’s one of Shane’s classic setups. You never get tired of watching that.

Jason:
Oh! Comeau bursts forward, abandons the setup, and drives all the way toward the right side boards.
You can see Shane’s hand freeze mid-air, he knows the help is gone. He’s on his own now. He is forced to handle it himself.
Shane tries to push up to the blue line, but Detroit’s defense is set and tight… turnover! And the Red Wings come back the other way, the puck moving quickly between three players, just like we saw earlier in the first period. Will they make it count this time?
Shane is sprinting back, waving for the wings to collapse, but there’s no response. He can only watch as the puck is swung all the way over to the far right side.

Max:
The goalie shifts left, and the Red Wing picks the right corner! Detroit scores! 1–0.

Jason:
Who would’ve thought the first goal would come from Detroit? Let’s take another look here in slow motion
Shane’s read is actually spot on, the signal’s clear, but the support just isn’t there. His teammates simply aren’t in sync tonight.

Max:
It looks like every signal got dropped.

---

[ 2nd Period — 5:01]

---

Jason:
Shane’s back on the bench after that shift, and the camera is on the Voyageurs bench right now. He’s clearly gesturing about defensive rotations, but wait! watch the bench reaction.
No nods. No acknowledgment. Are they really tuning out their captain? WHAT is going on here?

Max:
I’ve honestly never seen Shane this emotional.
We all know the public version of Shane: calm, rational, always composed.
Wow… I genuinely don’t even know what to say.

---

[ 3rd Period — 9:31]

---

Max:
We’re now into the third period, and the Voyageurs have taken a 3–1 lead. Shane has scored twice, and Hayden Pike added one as well, set up by JJ Boiziau.
But Detroit is starting to push back hard here. The forecheck is heavier, the hits are coming with more edge, the chirping is getting louder. You can feel the tension building as this period wears on.

Jason:
Whoa!
Did you see that hit?!
Shane takes the puck near the blue line, turns—and boom! Detroit’s #6 comes right through him, slamming him into the glass! That’s a heavy one, that’s going to leave some bruises.
No whistle from the officials—clean hit. You’ve got to say, Detroit’s still playing a hard game, but that’s a guy who knows exactly where the line is.
....wait
Nobody’s helping Shane up?
Voyageurs players just… stand there. Not a single one come over. No words, no response.
Pike is hopping over the bench, but aside from him, there’s just nothing back.

Max:
Even Detroit’s bench froze! The #6 player hesitate, almost like he wasn’t sure whether to go over and help him up.
Jason… what am I looking at??

Jason:
Honestly, Max… I don’t know how to even describe this.

---

[Postgame]

---

Max:
That’s the final. The Voyageurs take it 4–2. And honestly, man—that’s not the kind of game I expected to see tonight.

Jason:
They got it done, no question. But they never really found their pace. Chances came and went, defensive gaps showed up. On paper, this is a team that should’ve been in control—skill, experience, talent, all tilted their way—and yet they looked like they were skating with invisible chains all night.

Max:
That goal from Shane, though—top-A stuff.
Straight through the middle, weaves past three defenders, keeps his composure and finishes…
Man, I almost teared up watching that.

Jason:
No kidding—I saw our director jump out of his chair. Easy, folks—but yeah, that play earned it. That’s an annual highlight without question.

Jason:
Let’s head downstairs now and hear what Shane had to say after the game.

---

[ Postgame Sideline Interview]

---

Reporter:
Captain Shane Hollander, that was a tough game tonight. There were moments of frustration out there, and even the flow of the game felt disjointed at times. How would you assess the overall performance?

Shane:
Yeah… we struggled.
It was disappointed, espectually at home.
The result is, well, we did win, that part’s fine. But the way we played isn’t what we expect from ourselves. From the first to third, communication just felt… off. And hockey only works when everyone’s on the same rhythm.
Looking back, I’ve been thinking about my role in that. Maybe my signals weren’t clear or effective enough. Sometimes guys were early, sometimes late—my calls didn’t always land when they needed to.
I don’t think the system itself suddenly failed, and that’s what makes it hard to accept. When a team with this much talent feels disconnected, that’s something we have to take a close look at.

Reporter:
You’ve got Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, and New York coming up. Four tough opponents with playoff spots on the line. Where does the team go from here, especially given the potential we saw tonight?

 

Shane:
Uh… we’ll start by analyzing and understanding what happened tonight. Looking at what really happened on the ice is the most practical and important thing. Once we’re honest about the problems, then we can make the right adjustments and move forward.

Reporter:
Thank you, Shane.

---

[ Commentary Booth ]

---

Jason:
That answer was very Shane. No excuses. No blame.

Max:
Yeah… but that “communication being off” thing?
My dear, “off” is a massive understatement.

Jason:
Hey—easy there. Shane keeps coming back to connection because that’s exactly what this team is missing right now. And with the schedule they’ve got coming up, they need to find it, fast.

Max:
No question about that!
And, that’ll do it for us tonight on HockeyPuck Live. I’m Max.

Jason:
I’m Jason. See you next game.

 

---

[ One Month Later]

---

Jason:
Welcome back, everyone. Tonight’s marquee matchup: Montreal taking on the reigning champions, New York. But we’ve got something extra for you—Voyageurs captain Shane Hollander will be mic’d up for the entire game. That’s right. We’re bringing you closer than ever to the real voices on the ice.

Max:
Jason, I know I may sound like a broken record, but...
I genuinely hope the Voyageurs find their game tonight. A quick look at the numbers tells the story: their passing error rate is up to 18%, defensive coverage has been porous, and in their last outing against Chicago, that third period is devastated. Every shift was a grind.

Jason:
And the frustration has boiled over. Fans are post their burning jerseys, calling out the coaching staff, demanding answers. But from the team, it’s been radio silence
“we’re adjusting,” they say.
That’s not enough for this fan base. They don’t want distance, they want honesty.
They want truth!
So let’s see if we get some of that now. Our reporter is standing by outside the Voyageurs locker room, ready to catch up with Shane for his pregame thoughts.

 

---

[ Locker Room Interview]

---

Reporter:
Captain Shane Hollander! Big test tonight against the New York Admirals. Is there anything you can share that might give Voyageurs fans some confidence heading into this one?

Shane:
No.
...There’s...No.

Reporter:
Uh… is the tactic just being kept secret? Maybe something being kept under wraps? Some kind of adjustment or surprise

Shane:
No… not really.

Reporter:
Captain, fans are anxious. After the last few games, there’s been a lot of reaction online: analysis, concern. When you say “nothing”, is that a low-key strategy?

Shane:
No
just… no plan, no strategy, nothing.
(a dull thud from inside the locker room, muffled voices, something clattering to the floor)
I—I’ve gotta go

Reporter:
Uh… okay. Thanks, Shane.

---

[ Commentary Booth ]

---

Max:
Wait… no way… That didn’t just happen.
Jason, did you hear that? That wasn’t strategy…

Jason:
Yes, yes, yes… oh lord.. I’ve got a bad feeling about tonight already.

---

[1st Period — 19:50]

---

Jason:
And we’re underway. New York controls off the opening touch—and almost immediately, Shane backs off with perfect anticipation. Smooth backward stride, edges carving the ice, eyes locked on the puck carrier’s shoulders.

Max:
Smart choice
He’s not chasing the puck. He’s reading the play three steps ahead.
New York sets up, and Shane angles his route to take away the most dangerous passing lane.

Jason:
Center tries the deke
Shane shadows him stride for stride! Sharp edge work, closes the gap!
He almost picks it off, just inches away.

Max:
Watch Shane’s head snap up! There’s the signal.
He makes a sweeping gesture toward Comeau, calling for support
But Comeau… just freezes? He doesn’t look back, he miss Shane’s signal.

Jason:
and the pass goes exactly where Shane predicted, Scott Hunter receives it, dash toward to the net.
I mean Shane tries to organize the defense, but that's too late. He’s looking for Comeau, and he's no helping. At this point, there’s absolutely zippo he can do.
The goalie moves forward, Hunter unloads a slap shot, fires upper corner!
Score! Admirals take a 1–0 lead.

Shane (Mic):
My god, my GOD. Guys, are you serious?

---

[2nd Period — 10:30]

---

Jason:
Admirals turn it over! Puck bounces off the boards and Shane grabs it in the neutral zone.
Wheels turn, builds speed through center, eyes up, scanning like a radar—but…
His winger’s offside. The left side hasn’t even joined the play yet. What should’ve been a layered zone entry just falls apart. Admirals doesn’t chase, they back off, collapse, and wait.
Shane searches for a lane, but right side’s sealed. He is struggling, tryna find a seam is possible.

Max:
No, he cannot find one. Picked off cleanly! Admirals’ defense reads it perfectly
Puck goes wide to the flank, and it’s a three-on-two the other way!

Jason:
Shane hustles back on the backcheck, but Hunter’s already in full stride, two more Admirals jumping into the zone. They sell the shot… slide a flat pass across the slot—
and that puck is tucked home
New York strikes again! Admirals lead 2–0.

Max:
That’s a complete breakdown in the middle of the ice. Zero continuity through center. Honestly, that’s a spot where you’d like to see Pike get a look—based on this season, he’s the only guy consistently in sync with Shane.

Shane (Mic):
Listen — we can’t keep doing this.
This is... incredibly frustrating.
We’re losing, all competitiveness
You just have to lisen to me, I would have found a different way to managing these issues
But right now?
(breath)
This is just disappointing.
It's a miracle if we even make the playoffs.

Max:
Shane, oh my man, this just hurts to watch.

---

[2nd Period End]

---

Jason:
That’s the horn to end the second. Admirals up by two
Players head to their benches, coaches barking instructions
The third will decide this game.

Shane (Mic):
…is it empty?
Hey, can someone grab me some water?

Stuff:
Yeah, coming right up.

Jason:
Shane asking for hydration there
Tonight has been a heavy game, and fluid loss adds up fast.
But watch closely: as Shane takes a breather, he’s already pointing things out, setting assignments. And for the first time tonight, teammates are actually locking in.

Max:
Coach gives the signal, and Shane’s heading back out for the first shift center to start the third.

Max:
That’s the first sign of good connection we’ve expected all night. Let’s see if the third period finally gives us some excited moments.

---

[3rd Period — 17:56]

---

Shane (Mic):
Water… hey, give me some water.

Stuff:
Oh, yeah! coming!

Max:
Wait.. did you just tell me that Shane not get water? all the intermissions session with planning and guiding but no water?

Jason:
Oh boy, forget that for a second, and look at center ice!
JJ and Admirals defenseman #3 Auston, collide hard! Gloves are off, sticks down
they’re circling now. Officials clearing space.
JJ makes the first move and throws a left
Misses!
Auston grabs the jersey, comes back up high toward the helmet!
JJ answers back, these two are throwing! What a scrap!

Max:
They’re tied up now
And Auston goes down to the ice! The refs jump in and break it up. Both guys getting into the penalty box for five minutes each.
You can see the coach already shuffling lines, and there it is—Shane and Pike heading out together.
…Okay, side note, very important side note:
Did Shane ever get the water?

Jason:
Max...focus!
Third period underway, Voyageurs still with just one goal from Kolya on the power play earlier.
They’re going to need more pace if they want to keep this building engaged.

---

[3rd Period — 14:36]

---

Jason:
Here come the Admirals again with speed. Scott carries it up the right boards, hits another gear. Shane is skating backward, angling him toward the outside—quick stop, trying to close the gap. Scott cuts left to create space
and—oh my goodness! Comeau comes in from Shane’s blind side and drives a shoulder into his ribs! Shane is blasted into the boards. Scott takes advantage, snaps the shot—and scores! Admirals strike again!
Let’s take another look.
yeah, Comeau’s shoulder catches Shane square in the ribs. That’s a heavy hit. Shane’s slow getting up, using his stick to steady himself, taking a few deep breaths.
The official comes over to check on him, but Shane waves him off and pulls himself up. He’s showing he’s okay now, skating back toward his teammates.

Shane (Mic):
Comeau! What the FUCK were you doing?

Comeau:
You talking to me? Maybe if you stayed in your lane, we wouldn’t have run into each other! Maybe if you can be focus and actually playing here! We could score more!

Shane (smashes stick on ice)
Comeau, You THINK about your route, and We’ll talk later. Clear your head and finish this fucking game first.

Jason:
Okay… did Shane just slam his stick on the ice? He’s clearly fired up.

Max:
Sorry—I’m still trying to process Comeau challenging the captain on the ice. That’s almost sacrilegious. Once the puck drops, the captain’s authority is absolute.

Jason:
Now Shane’s trying to reorganize the defensive structure. But you can feel the shift—the Admirals sense blood. They’re going right at him, over and over. Shane’s hanging in there, but he’s breathing heavy, clearly gassed, struggling to hold up under the pressure.

Shane (Mic):
Hayden! Cover back!

(Hayden steps in, intercepts—puck kicks off the boards.)

Jason:
Crazy how close it was.
But you can see it now—Shane’s first couple of strides are a step slower. That hit definitely took something out of him. If the coaching staff doesn’t adjust soon

(whistle for a line change)
Jason:
—and right on cue. Sometimes you hate being right. But well, not me obviously.

---

[Bench]

---

Shane (Mic):
…water.
Someone get me water.

Stuff:
…uh—
You mean… water?

Shane(mic):
For fuck’s sake...
This is unbelievable. Guys, please—let’s be sensible here.

Max:

What?? I was joking earlier—but he seriously still hasn’t gotten water? It’s almost the end of the third period.

Jason:
Now Shane’s back on the bench, and he’s got that distant look in his eyes. I know that look—I’ve worn it myself, staring at a screen at three in the morning trying to finish an edit. The mind’s still racing, but the body’s completely spent.

Max:
Oh man. I feel that.

---

[Postgame]

---

Max:
Final score: Admirals 5, Voyageurs 3.
Admirals proof that they were the better team tonight. Scott Hunter came through when it mattered most, big goals at big moments, once again showing why he’s one of the league’s most dependable leaders. You start to wonder: could they go back-to-back this year?

Jason:
It might be a little bit early to decide a back-to-back champion now haha.
But tonight the Admirals showed composure, execution, and real grit when it counted.

Max:
As always, let’s hear from the captain

---

[ Postgame Sideline Interview]

---

Reporter:
Shane,It must be a tough night out there.
Especially in the third period we saw a pretty heated exchange between you and Comeau on the ice.
Do you feel that situation reflected deeper communication issues within the group tonight? Just talk us through how difficult this has been, particularly playing in front of the home fans.

Shane:
No.
It was just a tactical disagreement, that’s all.
(breath)
Tonight… yeah, I’m very disappointed. Especially at home. This was a special game for this team, and it hurts.
Losing always hurts—but tonight it hurts more than usual. I honestly don’t have many words for our performance. The only thing I can really say is that we’re sorry—to our fans.
Overall, we’re just not good enough right now. And we have to be better
Unfortunately, that’s all I can say at the moment.
All we’re trying to do is improve—and make sure we’re moving in the right direction.

 

---

[ Commentary Booth ]

---

Jason:
Shane… man. We all see it. He tried.

Max:
Oh, he’s really trying. And nobody’s protecting his back out there. He’s been driven into the boards again and again. He’s trying to create breakaways on his own, winning faceoffs on his own, defending on his own.
But let’s remember, hockey is a five-on-five game. You can’t play hockey by yourself.

Jason:
Well, based on what we saw tonight, if the Voyageurs keep playing like this, they might as well start planning for next year.
And for everyone watching tonight—that’s not what we hoped to see.
Thanks for being with us. I’m Jason.

Max:
I’m Max.

Together:
See you next game.