Gryphon player, coach snag on-screen roles in smash hit Crave TV show
When Jonah De Simone stepped onto the ice at the Sleeman Centre last spring to offer his hockey expertise on the production of Heated Rivalry, the Crave original set in the fictional Major League Hockey world, he had no idea what a smash success the Canadian television show would become.
De Simone, a former Gryphon right winger who also played for the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, is a third-year accounting student at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics. However, last spring he played a different role – body double for Canadian actor Hudson Williams, who plays superstar Montreal Metros captain Shane Hollander.
On screen, Hollander wins face-offs, cuts across the ice, making passes and scoring goals. Thanks to the magic of TV, that’s all De Simone. He also found himself showing Williams the finer details of the sport – how to hold his stick, how to tape his socks and tie his skates, how to chirp other players.
“I was really proud watching the show,” De Simone says. “Hudson looks like a hockey player.”
When Williams appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he shared with the host a classic hockey stretch – a small detail De Simone had shown him – in a clip that went viral. “Both Hudson and his co-star Connor Storrie were really fun, genuine guys who cared about getting it right,” he says.
Team Canada vs. Team Russia, Gryphon style
Heated Rivalry is based on the book of the same name, the second in the Game Changers series, written by Halifax author Rachel Reid. Adapted by director Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy), the story follows rivals Shane Hollander, the star centre for the Metros and Ilya Rozanov, a Russian star centre for the Boston Raiders played by Storrie, who fall in love over the course of a decade-long secret romance.
Production took place in spring 2025 across Guelph, Hamilton, Muskoka and Toronto.
De Simone, a TV and film rookie, credits Tierney with creating an environment that welcomed collaboration. “He’s a really effective leader with clear communication. Hudson and Connor were also great to work with, very open and receptive to learning everything they could about the sport. It was really nice to make them feel welcome and put out positive vibes in terms of hockey culture.”
Like hockey, a television production requires a team effort, from props to wardrobe, to the actors and crew, “it takes a lot of detail and execution and experience that I didn’t appreciate before I was in it,” De Simone says.
“Everyone on set was really invested in the story they were telling,” he adds. “Everyone cared about doing it justice and doing it well. It was really cool to witness, especially for my first experience with TV.”
The runaway success of the show, picked up by HBO Max and other international streamers, has exceeded expectations. It has been called a phenomenon, sparking dialogue all over social media and a second season was greenlit before the finale aired Boxing Day. De Simone says at the time of filming, he thought perhaps Heated Rivalry would resonate with queer audiences and maybe some hockey fans.
“I realized how big it was when my sisters said they were watching it,” he remembers. “Then family and friends reached out from Australia and Minnesota to say they were watching.”
Frosty Mug 2026: Gryphons take on Brock Badgers
If you look closely in the opening frames of episode one, you might have spotted another Gryphon, men’s head hockey coach Josh Dixon. Initially hired as a hockey consultant on set, Dixon ended up playing the coach of Team Canada when the characters first battle each other in the junior league.
“As people in hockey, we’re always looking to grow the game,” Dixon says. “To raise awareness for the LGBTQ2IA community who exists in hockey is great. It’s been impressive how wide-ranging the show’s impact has been. The number of times you hear the show referenced, people are watching and paying attention.
“The more fandom that’s out there around hockey, the better.”
Dixon returns to the Sleeman Centre this week with his own team as the Gryphons host the annual Frosty Mug. Taking on the Brock Badgers following an overtime win against them earlier this month and clinching the 2024 and 2025 Steel Blade Classic, Dixon says the stakes are high for the Jan. 22 game.
“We are a big, fast, physical team that has been quite offensive this year,” Dixon says. “This game is massive for us and the fans.”
A heated rivalry, perhaps? “You could say that,” he laughs.