Last year, Heated Rivalry blew up into a phenomenon that no one could have seen coming. The romantic hockey drama based on the Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid premiered on Crave and HBO Max concurrently in November 2025 and immediately took over the world. But despite its success and acclaim, the series was not able to contend for Primetime Emmys.
The reason, while frustrating, boils down to a rule in the Television Academy's requirements. Unlike other shows, which aired their latest seasons outside of the June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2025 eligibility window, Heated Rivalry wasn't allowed to compete at the Emmys because it was fully funded and produced in Canada without any financial support from an American producer.
Because HBO Max only acquired the series for streaming and doesn't contribute to the production, Heated Rivalry and its cast and crew cannot be recognized for their work at the Primetime Emmys. Storrie's performance as Ilya Rozanov isn't eligible for Emmys, and he's also not eligible for Canadian awards because he's American. But the star still managed to land his first Emmy nomination this year.
Connor Storrie scores first Emmy nomination for SNL
On Feb. 28, 2026, Connor Storrie made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut, and his fearless performance on the sketch comedy series earned him immediate Emmys buzz. The buzz turned out to come out in his favor. Storrie was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category, the only SNL host to squeeze into the race this year.
While Storrie's first Emmy Award nomination wasn't able to be for is breakthrough television performance, which exhibited his extreme acting talent and extraordinary accent work, the rising star still managed to earn much-deserved recognition for his star-making debut year. From the moment Storrie's first SNL promo dropped, it was obvious that Emmy gold could and should be in his future.
In the preview for his hosting gig, the SNL writers leaned heavily on his shape-shifting ability to take on almost any accent and make it his own. We were all fooled that Storrie was actually Russian, even though he's from Texas, and the promo had the actor run through even more foreign accents with perfect precision. Storrie honestly earned his Emmy nomination for the one-minute clip alone.
But on the stage, Storrie tapped into his Los Angeles clowning days, fitting right in with the fast-paced pressure of improv comedy on live television as if he was part of the regular cast. Many of Storrie's sketches went viral, including the final sketch of the episode that borrowed a character the actor previously created: a banged-up stripper performing in spite of serious injuries.
If Storrie hadn't earned his Emmy nomination for Saturday Night Live, he would have had a second chance next year thanks to his headline-grabbing recurring role as Lance Kingston in Criminal Minds season 19. We'll have to wait and see whether his performance in the Paramount+ thriller will be recognized in 2027, since the season aired beyond the eligibility deadline.
Heated Rivalry will likely remain shut out by the Primetime Emmys, unless a rule change occurs before season 2's set to be released in spring 2027. But the series has still won multiple awards, like a Peabody Award and a historic sweep at the Canadian Screen Awards that included big wins for the series and Storrie's fellow super-talented star Hudson Williams.
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