Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

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

Relationships:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Ottawa Centaurs Team Ensemble (Game Changers), Brandon Wiebe, Wyatt Hayes, Jordan Young, Luca Haas, Troy Barrett, Felix LaPointe, Pete Holmberg, Josh Boyle, Nick Chouinard

Additional Tags:

Hockey Player Ilya Rozanov, Hockey Player Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov Loves Shane Hollander, Shane Hollander Loves Ilya Rozanov, Secret Relationship, Ottawa Centaurs Find Out About Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Supportive Ottawa Centaurs (Game Changers)

Language:

English

Series:

Part 9 of Relationship Reveals

Stats:

Published: 2026-06-03 Words: 3,345 Chapters: 1/1

How the Ottawa Centaurs Accidentally Learned Everything

Summary

Nobody in the Ottawa Centaurs locker room thinks much of the messages constantly arriving on their captain's phone.
After all "Jane" texts Ilya Rozanov all the time.
But when Jane starts calling over and over again, the team decides to answer.
What they hear changes everything.
A panicked Shane Hollander is on the other end of the line, desperately searching for a missing dog.
Within minutes, the NHL's biggest secret is out, ten years of hidden history come to light, and an entire hockey team finds itself racing across a city park looking for a runaway dog named Anya.

The Ottawa Centaurs locker room looked like a battlefield after three hours of brutal training.

Equipment was scattered everywhere, gloves were hanging from hooks at strange angles, somebody had left a roll of tape stuck to the floor, and the air carried the unmistakable combination of sweat, shampoo, hockey gear, and exhaustion.

Coach Wiebe had clearly decided that if the players survived today's practice, they could survive anything.

"I think I saw my soul leave my body during the last skating drill." Wyatt Hayes groaned as he collapsed onto the bench.

"You still had soul?" Jordan Young asked.

"Not anymore."

Luca Haas laughed.

Across the room, Ilya Rozanov emerged from the showers with wet curls and a towel thrown over one shoulder.

Despite looking as if he had just spent three hours trying to fight a hurricane, he somehow still looked annoyingly handsome.

"Office. Now." Coach Wiebe called from the doorway.

Ilya sighed dramatically.

"If I disappear, tell police I died from overtraining."

"Nobody will believe that." Troy Barrett said.

"True."

Leaving his phone on the bench beside his gear, Ilya headed toward the coach's office.

The moment he disappeared around the corner, the room settled back into the comfortable post-practice chaos.

"So what are you guys doing tonight?" Felix LaPointe asked.

"Dinner with my girlfriend."

"Movie."

"Video games."

"Sleep for ten hours."

"That's not a plan."

"It absolutely is."

Pete Holmberg was halfway through explaining why sleep was an elite hobby when a phone buzzed.

Everyone looked toward Ilya's bench.

The screen lit up.

Jane

Message received.

Nobody paid much attention.

Then another arrived. And another. And another.

The buzzing continued every twenty seconds.

Josh Boyle looked over.

"Jane again."

"Oh, that Jane."

Everyone knew about Jane. Jane had appeared on Ilya's phone constantly.

Text messages. Calls. Voice notes. Random photos. More texts.

Nobody had ever met Jane.

Whenever someone asked, Ilya would grin and say:

"Important person, yes."

Then refuse to elaborate.

Now the messages kept arriving.

Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

The room slowly became quiet.

"That's a lot of messages."

"Maybe she's angry."

"Maybe he's in trouble."

"Maybe she found out he ate her leftovers."

"That's a crime."

More buzzing.

Nick Chouinard frowned.

"Okay, seriously. That looks urgent."

Nobody disagreed.

The messages kept coming. One after another.

The screen barely had time to go dark.

Then it started ringing.

Everyone froze.

The caller ID appeared.

Jane Calling

The ringtone echoed through the room.

Nobody moved.

It stopped.

Then immediately started again.

Wyatt stared.

"Okay, that's definitely an emergency."

"Should we answer?"

"We can't answer."

"What if somebody's hurt?"

The phone kept ringing.

Finally Luca stood.

"If somebody is dying and we ignore it, that's going to look bad."

"Fair."

"Just tell her he'll call back."

Luca grabbed the phone.

Everyone watched.

He answered.

"Hello…"

A panicked voice exploded through the speaker before Luca could continue.

"ILYA OH THANK GOD ANYA IS GONE SHE CHASED A SQUIRREL I LOOKED EVERYWHERE I CAN'T FIND HER SHE'S COMPLETELY GONE I DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE WENT…"

The entire room blinked.

That was not a woman. That was definitely a man.

And Luca knew that voice. Very, very well.

He stared at the phone.

"No way."

The voice continued.

"ILYA ARE YOU THERE?"

At that exact moment the locker-room door opened.

Ilya walked in. He stopped.

He saw Luca holding his phone. His expression darkened instantly.

"Luca."

The entire room collectively flinched.

"You touch my phone, yes?"

"There's a reason…"

Then the panicked voice erupted again.

"ILYA!"

Everything changed.

Ilya's eyes widened.

He crossed the room in three strides and grabbed the phone.

"Shane?"

The room became absolutely silent. Every player froze.

Because they all recognized that voice. Every single one.

The voice belonged to only one person.

Shane Hollander.

Captain of the Montreal Metros.

Ilya's biggest rival.

The other best player in hockey.

And apparently... Jane.

The locker room was so quiet that somebody dropping a piece of tape would have sounded like an explosion.

Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.

Everybody stared at Ilya.

Everybody stared at the phone.

Everybody stared at each other.

Then everybody stared at Ilya again.

Because Shane Hollander was currently having a complete panic attack through the speaker.

"Ilya, I can't find her. I checked the trail three times. I checked the pond. I checked the playground. I checked the stupid squirrel tree. I checked everywhere."

"Shane, breathe."

"I am breathing."

"You are not breathing."

"I am!"

"You sound like dying vacuum cleaner, yes."

A strangled noise came through the phone.

Then Shane actually inhaled.

The locker room remained frozen.

Because there were several shocking facts happening simultaneously.

First: Shane Hollander was apparently calling Ilya.

Second: Shane Hollander was apparently saved in Ilya's phone as Jane.

Third: Shane Hollander sounded less like Ilya's rival and more like somebody calling their husband after accidentally setting the house on fire.

Ilya pinched the bridge of his nose.

"When did she run?"

"Twenty minutes ago."

"Direction?"

"I don't know."

"You must know."

"I was chasing her!"

"Shane."

"What?"

"How did you lose seventy-pound dog?"

"She saw squirrel!"

A pause.

"...fair."

The entire locker room watched as Ilya's expression shifted from annoyance to worry.

His voice softened immediately.

"Hey."

Shane fell silent.

"We find her."

Another pause.

"You promise?"

The question was so small and vulnerable that several players felt like they had accidentally overheard something private.

Ilya's face changed completely.

Gone was the loud superstar.

Gone was the chirping menace.

Gone was the guy who trash-talked entire teams for fun.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I promise."

The room became even more silent.

Because none of them had ever heard Ilya use that voice before.

Not once.

Then Shane sighed.

"Okay."

"We find her."

"Okay."

"You stay where you are."

"Okay."

"I come now."

"Okay."

Another pause.

Then Shane asked:

"You're not mad?"

Ilya looked genuinely confused.

"Mad?"

"I lost our dog."

"Shane."

"What?"

"She escaped because she inherited your brain, yes."

The entire locker room heard an offended noise.

"I heard that."

"Good."

For the first time a tiny laugh escaped Shane.

The tension eased slightly. Then reality returned.

The players were still standing there.

Listening. Watching.

Trying to process everything.

Ilya finally looked up.

And realized every teammate was staring at him.

Nobody said anything. For about five seconds.

Then Wyatt spoke.

"...Jane?"

Ilya closed his eyes.

"Oh no."

"Jane?"

"I can explain."

"Please explain Jane."

Holmberg pointed dramatically.

"You saved Shane Hollander as Jane."

"I had reasons."

"What reasons?"

"I needed nobody ask questions."

Jordy laughed.

"You named the best player in the world Jane."

"The second-best player."

"The best."

"The second."

"The best."

"Not now."

The argument died immediately because Shane was still on the phone.

"Wait," Shane said. "Are your teammates there?"

Nobody answered. Nobody moved.

Then eleven hockey players collectively leaned toward the phone.

"YES."

A horrified silence followed.

"Oh my God." Shane whispered.

"Too late now." Ilya muttered.

"Oh my God."

"Definitely too late."

"Oh my God."

Then Luca slowly raised his hand.

Even though Shane obviously couldn't see him.

"So..."

Everyone looked at him. Luca pointed toward the phone.

"You two are together."

Silence. Absolute silence.

Even Shane stopped breathing again.

Ilya looked at the ceiling.

Then at the floor. Then at his teammates. Then finally shrugged.

"Da."

Nobody reacted for approximately three seconds.

Then the locker room exploded.

"WHAT?"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"SINCE WHEN?"

"NO WAY."

"THAT'S WHY YOU MOVED HERE?"

"YOU'RE TELLING ME THE BIGGEST RIVALRY IN HOCKEY IS ACTUALLY A RELATIONSHIP?"

"THIS IS THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD."

Josh nearly fell off a bench.

Holmberg was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe.

Jordy pointed at Ilya.

"You fought him in three separate games."

"We were arguing."

"You shoved him into boards."

"He deserved it."

"I heard that." Shane said.

"You deserved it."

The entire room dissolved into chaos.

Eventually Luca managed to ask the important question.

"How long?"

Ilya and Shane were both quiet, then Shane answered.

"Ten years."

The room froze again.

"TEN?"

"Ten."

"Ten years?"

"Yes."

Nick sat down heavily.

"I need a minute."

Wyatt looked betrayed.

"Ten years and nobody knew?"

"We were careful." Shane admitted.

"You were not careful. You were impossible."

"Thank you?"

"No, seriously. We thought you hated each other."

"We do sometimes." Ilya said.

"Ilya."

"What? You steal blankets."

"One time."

"Every night."

The room erupted again.

The players stared at each other.

The realization slowly settled in.

The NHL's greatest rivalry.

Years of headlines. Years of interviews. Years of dramatic games.

And apparently these idiots had been going home to the same dog afterward.

Holmberg wiped tears from his eyes.

"This is the greatest day of my life."

Then Shane suddenly gasped.

"Anya."

Everyone stopped laughing.

Right. The dog. The missing dog.

The reason this conversation existed.

Ilya immediately grabbed his bag.

"Okay."

The team looked at him. He looked back.

Then Coach Wiebe's voice came from the doorway.

"What are you all still doing here?"

The entire team turned.

Ten players pointed at Ilya simultaneously.

"His dog is missing."

Coach Wiebe blinked.

"What?"

"Also Shane Hollander is his boyfriend."

A long silence followed.

The coach stared.

Once. Twice. Three times.

Then he sighed.

"I have so many questions."

"Later." Ilya said.

"Much later."

Another pause.

Then Coach Wiebe pointed toward the exit.

"Go find the dog."

And to Ilya's complete shock, every single player immediately stood up.

Grabbing jackets. Pulling on shoes. Collecting keys. Moving toward the door.

Ilya frowned.

"What are you doing?"

Wyatt looked confused.

"Finding the dog."

"All of you?"

"Obviously."

"It is not your dog."

Jordy shrugged.

"It is now."

For the first time since the phone call started, Ilya looked genuinely emotional.

Nobody mentioned it.

Instead Holmberg threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Come on."

"Why?"

"Because somewhere out there is a dog smart enough to escape Shane Hollander."

"That dog needs professional help."

And together, the entire Ottawa Centaurs headed for the parking lot.

To meet Shane. To find Anya.

And, apparently, to become the first NHL search-and-rescue unit.

 

The Ottawa Centaurs arrived at Riverside Park in what could only be described as organized hockey-player chaos.

Eleven players. One coach. Three SUVs. One pickup truck.

And approximately zero actual search-and-rescue qualifications.

The sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the winding paths and clusters of trees.

The moment they parked, they spotted Shane.

He was standing near a trail map, looking completely miserable.

Luca almost didn't recognize him.

Not because Shane looked different. Because Shane looked human.

The Shane Hollander they knew wore a Montreal jersey, answered media questions in carefully measured sentences, and skated around trying to ruin Ottawa's evenings.

This Shane wore jeans, a dark sweater, and running shoes.

His dark hair was slightly messy.

His freckles stood out in the fading sunlight.

And he looked worried enough that it physically hurt to look at him.

The moment Shane spotted Ilya, relief flooded his face.

Ilya didn't hesitate, he crossed the distance in seconds.

The entire team watched. Then watched some more.

Because the giant Russian hockey menace who spent half his life chirping opponents immediately wrapped both arms around Shane.

And Shane immediately buried his face against Ilya's shoulder.

The park became very quiet.

Several Ottawa players exchanged looks.

Because there was absolutely no mistaking what they were seeing.

Not friendship. Not teammates. Not rivals.

Not anything remotely casual.

These were two people who clearly loved each other very much.

Ilya rested his chin briefly on top of Shane's head.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"You okay?"

"No."

"Good answer."

Shane let out a shaky laugh.

"I lost our dog."

"We find her."

"What if we don't?"

"We do."

"What if…"

"We do."

The certainty in Ilya's voice finally seemed to calm him.

Then Shane noticed the rest of the team.

Eleven players and a coach standing several feet away trying - and failing - to pretend they weren't staring.

"Oh."

"Da."

"Oh no."

"Also da."

The team awkwardly waved.

Shane looked like he wanted the earth to open beneath him.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Nice to finally meet you."

"Sorry about accidentally learning all your secrets."

Shane covered his face.

"I would genuinely prefer to be eaten by a bear."

"Good news." Holmberg said.

"No bears."

"Holmberg." Coach Wiebe warned.

"What?"

Ilya squeezed Shane's shoulder.

"Nobody cares."

"They definitely care."

"We care about dog."

"Some of us care about both." Wyatt admitted.

"Please stop talking."

The players laughed.

And just like that, the tension eased.

Not completely, but enough.

Enough for Shane to finally breathe normally.

Enough for him to stop looking like he was about to faint.

Enough for everyone to focus on the actual emergency.

Finding Anya.

"Okay," Coach Wiebe announced. "Search pattern."

The players stared.

"You have search pattern?"

"No."

"Then why say it like that?"

"It sounded professional."

"Fair."

They split into groups.

Luca and Felix headed toward the playground.

Jordy and Wyatt took the wooded trail.

Holmberg, Josh, and Troy checked the pond.

Nick and Evan circled toward the open fields.

Coach Wiebe coordinated from the center.

Which left Shane and Ilya together.

Exactly where both of them clearly wanted to be.

The team pretended not to notice.

They noticed. Everyone noticed.

Five minutes later Jordy quietly muttered to Wyatt:

"He's holding his hand."

"He is."

"Ilya Rozanov is holding Shane Hollander's hand."

"He is."

"The universe is weird."

"Very."

Meanwhile Shane and Ilya searched along one of the trails.

"Sorry."

Ilya looked at him.

"For what?"

"Everything."

"You lose dog."

"Yes."

"Not crime."

"I feel like crime."

"You feel like crime because you panic."

Shane sighed.

"Maybe."

Ilya nudged his shoulder.

"Anya likes food."

"Very much."

"Anya likes people."

"Too much."

"Anya gets tired."

Shane nodded.

"Eventually."

"We find her."

"You keep saying that."

"Because true."

For the first time since they arrived, Shane smiled.

A real smile.

The kind Ilya clearly loved seeing.

A smile that immediately made him grin too.

Unfortunately for them, Holmberg witnessed this.

And immediately texted the team group chat.

THEY ARE DISGUSTINGLY CUTE.

The responses appeared instantly.

I KNOW.

I SAW THEM HOLDING HANDS.

THEY SHARED A WATER BOTTLE.

WE WERE ALL BLIND.

An hour passed. The search continued.

The sun dropped lower.

The players became increasingly tired. And increasingly creative.

"ANYA!"

"COME HERE, DOGGO!"

"WHO WANTS TREATS?"

"WE DON'T HAVE TREATS."

"SHE DOESN'T KNOW THAT."

At one point Holmberg accidentally spent ten minutes following the wrong golden-coloured dog.

At another point Luca nearly fell into a pond. Twice.

Meanwhile Shane's anxiety gradually returned.

Every minute without finding Anya made him quieter.

More worried. More withdrawn.

Eventually they regrouped near the central trail.

Nothing. No dog. No sightings. No clues.

Shane looked devastated.

Ilya immediately moved closer.

Not subtle. Not careful. Not hiding.

Just there. Solid and protective.

A hand resting briefly on Shane's back.

The simple touch seemed to ground him.

"We keep looking."

Shane nodded, but barely.

The team exchanged glances.

Nobody wanted to say it.

Everybody was thinking it.

The dog could be anywhere.

Then…

A voice echoed from somewhere in the distance.

"HEY!"

Everyone turned.

Nick came sprinting down a path. Completely out of breath.

Pointing dramatically.

"I FOUND SOMETHING."

The entire group launched into motion.

"What?"

"Where?"

"Dog?"

"Maybe!"

"Maybe?"

"It looked like dog!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means I saw something furry running!"

The team immediately followed him.

Through trees. Past benches.

Across a small field. Toward a cluster of bushes.

Everyone shouting. Everyone running.

Everyone increasingly convinced they looked insane.

Then suddenly… a bark.

The entire group froze.

Another bark.

Shane's eyes widened.

"Anya."

Another bark.

Definitely Anya.

Everybody sprinted. Branches snapped. Leaves flew.

Holmberg nearly tackled a bush.

And then they found her.

Standing proudly in the middle of a clearing.

Covered in dirt. Covered in leaves. Covered in what appeared to be approximately half the park.

The dog looked exhausted. The dog looked thrilled.

The dog looked like she had just completed the greatest adventure of her life.

And most importantly…

The dog was carrying something in her mouth.

A squirrel plush toy.

Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.

Anya wagged her tail.

Furiously. Then barked.

As if announcing her victory.

Shane stared. Ilya stared. The entire team stared.

Finally Shane whispered:

"...is that a toy squirrel?"

It was. A toy squirrel.

Somehow.

Nobody knew where she found it. Nobody wanted to know.

Anya trotted happily toward them.

As if she'd merely gone shopping.

Shane immediately dropped to his knees.

"Oh my God."

Anya launched herself into his arms.

Nearly knocking him over.

The relief on Shane's face was so obvious that several players smiled.

Even Coach Wiebe looked emotional, though he would deny it forever.

Ilya crouched beside them.

"There she is."

Shane laughed. Actually laughed.

The worried tension finally gone.

Anya licked both of them. Repeatedly.

"You little menace."

The dog wagged harder.

"You scared everybody."

More wagging.

"You know that?"

Even more wagging.

Ilya scratched behind her ears.

"She looks proud."

"She should not be proud."

"Too late."

Anya barked.

Holmberg pointed dramatically.

"That dog has absolutely no regrets."

"None."

"Not one."

The dog barked again.

As if agreeing.

And honestly?

She probably was.

 

A few minutes later, with Anya safely attached to a leash and happily trotting between Shane and Ilya as if she hadn't just caused a city-wide emergency, the entire group finally began walking back toward the parking lot.

Nobody was in a hurry anymore.

The dog was safe.

Shane looked like he could breathe again.

And the Ottawa Centaurs had just discovered the biggest secret in professional hockey.

For several minutes they walked in comfortable silence.

Then Holmberg cleared his throat.

"So."

Everybody groaned.

"Holmberg, don't." Luca warned.

"I have questions."

"We know."

"I have many questions."

"We know."

Holmberg ignored them.

He pointed at Shane and Ilya.

"So you've been together for ten years."

"Da."

"And nobody knew."

"Correct."

"And the entire rivalry thing was fake."

"Not fake." Shane said immediately.

The whole team looked at him.

Shane shrugged.

"He really is annoying."

"I am standing here, yes."

"You know exactly what you do."

"I do."

The team burst out laughing.

Then Jordy looked at Ilya.

"Wait."

"What?"

"You left Boston for him."

The group immediately went quiet.

Even Shane looked over.

Ilya shrugged.

As if leaving one of the best teams in the league for a completely different city was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course."

The answer was so simple that nobody knew what to say.

Shane's ears turned red.

Holmberg made a wounded noise.

"Oh, come on. That's disgustingly romantic."

"Thank you." Shane said.

"That was not compliment."

"It sounded like one."

The team laughed again.

When they finally reached the parking lot, Ilya looked around at everyone.

Then he nodded once.

"Dinner at my place."

The players blinked.

"What?"

"You all help find dog."

"You don't have to…"

"I insist."

The team exchanged surprised looks.

Then Holmberg grinned.

"Free food?"

"Da."

"We're in."

"Immediately."

"Absolutely."

"Not even question."

Ilya shook his head.

"Hockey players. No loyalty."

"We helped save your dog."

"Our dog." Shane corrected automatically.

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

The team immediately went silent. Then eleven identical grins appeared.

Shane closed his eyes.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes." Wyatt said.

Holmberg pointed dramatically.

"The first thing we've learned about your relationship is that you share custody of a dog."

"The second thing," Luca added, "is that Ilya moved across the continent for love."

"And the third thing," Jordy finished, "is that somehow the most unbelievable part of this entire story is Shane Hollander owning a dog that ignores him."

Everyone laughed. Everyone except Shane.

Because at that exact moment Anya spotted another squirrel.

And took off running.

Again.

Still attached to the leash.

With Shane at the other end.

"ANYA!"

The dog vanished around a corner. Shane vanished after her.

The entire Ottawa Centaurs watched him disappear.

Then Holmberg nodded thoughtfully.

"You know what?"

"What?" Ilya asked.

Holmberg grinned.

"That rivalry looked way more believable."