Celebrity lookalike contests, one of last year’s most joyful internet-to-real-life trends, are officially back in 2026. And instead of pop stars or Hollywood A-listers, fans have turned their attention to fictional ice hockey heartthrobs. Over the weekend, crowds gathered in New York City and Sydney for lookalike competitions inspired by the hit series Heated Rivalry, searching for real-world doubles of rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov.

The events drew unexpectedly large turnouts, forced last-minute location changes, and delivered exactly what fans wanted: chaos, commitment, and a lot of hockey jerseys.

Why Heated Rivalry fans started the trend

Unlike last year’s Harry Styles or Timothée Chalamet lookalike contests, this revival is driven by fandom rather than celebrity culture alone.

Heated Rivalry, adapted from Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers novels, has built a devoted following thanks to its enemies-to-lovers storyline and the on-screen chemistry between its leads. Fans of the show have embraced the characters of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov not just as fictional athletes, but as cultural icons.

That devotion spilled offline when fans began organizing contests to find people who looked most like:

• Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams
• Ilya Rosanov, played by Connor Storrie

What happened at the New York look-alike contest?

The New York event took place at Mercer Playground in Greenwich Village and quickly outgrew expectations. Organizers were forced to shift logistics as crowds poured in, eager to judge who best embodied Shane and Ilya.

Contestants leaned fully into character, with some wearing hockey jerseys, others stripping down on stage, and a few even recreating moments of intimacy between the characters. According to attendees, the crowd response was loud, enthusiastic, and very online.

The prizes were modest—$50 for each winner—but the bragging rights were not.

• Ryan Heffernan, 25, won the Shane Hollander lookalike title
• Tyler Gaul, 28, was crowned the Ilya Rosanov lookalike

Both winners later told the New York Post that their resemblance had already made them minor local celebrities.

“Random people were taking pictures of me,” Heffernan said, adding that he arrived alone because he was confident he would win.

Gaul said the resemblance was first pointed out by his girlfriend, before others began saying the same thing.

Sydney’s contest nearly got shut down

On the other side of the world, Heated Rivalry fans in Sydney staged their own version of the contest, organized by TikToker Lena Tuck.

The original plan was to hold the event at Camperdown Park in Newtown, but the crowd size drew attention from the local council, which threatened to shut it down. The competition was hastily relocated to the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville, where it went ahead to a packed venue.

The event leaned even harder into spectacle.

Hosted by drag performer Jackie Daniels—wearing a hockey outfit—the Sydney contest judged competitors on categories that directly referenced the show, including:

• Best loon call
• Best “I’m coming to the cottage” line delivery
• Best Glambot-style flip-off, inspired by Hudson Williams
• Best butt and best Madonna dance, nodding to Connor Storrie

The winners were Sean, who took the Ilya Rosanov category, and Eduardo, who won as Shane Hollander.

Unlike New York, Sydney’s champions walked away with more than just bragging rights. Their prizes included trophies, cash, gift vouchers, and copies of Rachel Reid’s full Game Changers novel series.

Why these contests keep coming back

What makes these lookalike competitions endure is their low-stakes appeal. There’s no influencer branding, no sponsorship push, and no algorithm to please. Fans show up, judges shout, winners pose, and the internet does the rest.

In a media landscape dominated by polished celebrity culture, these events feel refreshingly unfiltered. They’re less about perfect resemblance and more about communal obsession—shared jokes, shared references, and a willingness to take fandom seriously, even when it looks ridiculous from the outside.

What’s next for the Heated Rivalry fandom?

With lookalike contests now happening across continents, fans are already speculating about future events, possible cast appearances, and how the trend could evolve as the show expands.

Interest in the series continues to grow, helped by viral merchandise, fan-run events, and renewed attention after confirmation that a second season is in development.

If the past weekend is any indication, Heated Rivalry has crossed a threshold—from popular series to full-fledged fandom phenomenon.

And judging by the crowds in New York and Sydney, this rivalry is only heating up.