Heated Rivalry fans are melting down over Storrie's buzz cut
Heated Rivalry fans are in meltdown mode after Connor Storrie ditched his signature blond curls for a buzz cut as Season 2 filming began in Toronto. The 26-year-old, who plays Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov, was photographed with the dramatic new look over the weekend, sparking an online spiral.
Key Takeaways
- Connor Storrie debuted a buzz cut as Heated Rivalry Season 2 filming got underway in Toronto.
- Fans flooded social media mourning the blond curls that defined Ilya Rozanov on screen.
- Rachel Reid's novel The Long Game describes Ilya with long hair, adding fuel to the backlash.
- Season 2 of Heated Rivalry is set to premiere on Crave in spring 2027.
What happened to Connor Storrie's signature curls?
Storrie shaved off the blond curls that helped define Ilya Rozanov on Crave's queer romance series. According to Page Six, he debuted the dramatic chop on Sunday while dining with co-star Christina Chang in Toronto.
He was later spotted on set Monday in Dundas, Ontario, shooting outside Turner Family Funeral Home Ltd. Creator Jacob Tierney and Game Changers author Rachel Reid were on hand, with artificial snow dressing the property for a winter scene. The chop quickly became the week's hottest Heated Rivalry talking point.
Why are Heated Rivalry fans so upset?
Social media treated the haircut like a personal loss. One fan wrote on X, "WHERE ARE HIS CURLS HE CANT SEE WITHOUT HIS CURLS," while another said, "my stomach hurts." A third insisted, "This has to be AI I'm gonna cry." Devotees even begged Tierney to bring the curls back.
Some of the mourning tracks the books. Reid's The Long Game, the sixth Game Changers novel and the basis for Season 2, describes Ilya with long hair throughout. Other fans argued the buzz cut feels authentic to Ilya's Russian roots, or that it mirrors a Season 2 arc in which the character is said to be grappling with depression.
Did Connor Storrie see the haircut coming?
Yes. In a Teen Vogue clip from December, Storrie said he was ready to lose the look: "I'm ready to cut this stuff off if y'all want me to be completely honest. I'm ready to shave my head."
Curl fans can still find the old style in Los Angeles, where Storrie's Saint Laurent fall 2026 campaign — ringlets intact — sits on a multistory Sunset Boulevard billboard. Some viewers wager chemistry with co-star Hudson Williams will quiet the debate once Shane and Ilya share the screen again.
For more celebrity updates, visit our celebrity breaking news hub. Season 2 of Heated Rivalry is set to premiere on Crave in spring 2027.