The Long Game

In July, professional hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov enjoy their secret, long-term romantic relationship at Shane’s private cottage. During a video call with their shared agent, Farah Jalali, they decide to reveal their secret: Shane is gay, and Ilya is bisexual. Though the stress and fear associated with maintaining this secret leaves both clinging to unhealthy habits—Shane finds control in a restrictive diet, while Ilya finds release in smoking—they are not ready to go public.

Farah is supportive and agrees to keep their confidence. Having reaffirmed their “long game” plan to remain closeted until they retire, the conversation focuses on Shane’s expiring contract and an ESPN documentary about their on-ice rivalry.

Later that summer, Shane and Ilya run their annual charity hockey camp, raising money for mental health initiatives in honor of Ilya’s mother, who died by suicide. Shane worries about maintaining their secret around the other coaches, including his best friend and teammate Hayden Pike, who knows about them, and teammate J.J. Boiziau, who does not. Another coach, Ryan Price, also knows their secret, having accidentally walked in on them kissing the previous year.

Ilya grows jealous when a handsome reporter, Laurent, touches Shane’s arm during an interview. In response, Ilya fires a puck at the glass behind Shane, leading to a tense argument. They reconcile after Ilya admits his jealousy, but Ryan Price once again walks in on them in a compromising position. To normalize their relationship with other queer people, Ilya suggests a double date with Ryan and his boyfriend, Fabian Salah, which Shane agrees to.

At a gay bar, they meet Ryan and Fabian, a musician whose unapologetic queerness initially makes Shane uncomfortable. During the date, Fabian questions the logic of their secrecy, suggesting that hiding might be as distracting as coming out. The sexual tension between Shane and Ilya intensifies at Fabian’s concert, where the sensual atmosphere and their forced public distance create a palpable strain. In a rare public display of affection, Shane places a hand on Ilya’s back. They later return to Shane’s house and have passionate sex.

Later in the summer, Shane and Ilya babysit Hayden’s four children when his wife, Jackie, sprains her ankle. The kids intuit their relationship and stage a playful wedding ceremony, during which Shane and Ilya exchange plastic rings and feel unexpectedly emotional.

The new NHL season begins in October, marking their eleventh season of hiding. Shane’s team, the Montreal Voyageurs, are the defending Stanley Cup champions, while Ilya’s team, the Ottawa Centaurs, are perennial losers. During one game, Shane successfully executes Ilya’s signature scoring move and winks at the camera for him, leading to a flirtatious FaceTime call later that night.

While on a road trip, Shane meets with his ex-girlfriend and best friend, the actress Rose, who advises him to have a backup plan in case their secret is exposed. Meanwhile, Ilya’s feelings of depression and isolation intensify. He throws a Halloween party to connect with his team, but after Shane makes a spontaneous late-night drive to see him, Ilya is so moved that he breaks down crying the next morning and decides to seek professional help.

In November, Ilya begins seeing a Russian-speaking therapist, Dr. Galina Molchalina, and discusses his mother’s suicide and his depression. Around the same time, NHL Commissioner Roger Crowell meets with Shane and delivers a veiled threat, advising him to keep his personal life private. In therapy, Ilya comes out as bisexual and tells Galina about his relationship with Shane. Galina suggests he is shouldering an unequal burden and encourages him to confide in a friend. Ilya’s team acquires a new player, Troy Barrett, who was traded after a public dispute with a homophobic teammate. Ilya is initially wary but befriends Troy after learning about his difficult family life.

The couple spends a tense Christmas together. Ilya gives Shane a framed, never-before-seen photo from their first photoshoot, a moment of shared laughter that touches Shane deeply. On Boxing Day, Ilya asks Shane to attend a party with his teammates, but Shane refuses, deeming it too risky. The refusal triggers a major fight, with Ilya accusing Shane of taking his sacrifices for granted and telling Shane to go home. A devastated Shane finally understands how much Ilya has rearranged his life for him.

In January, the Centaurs’ team plane suffers a severe engine malfunction. Believing he is about to die, Ilya sends Shane a series of emotional messages on Instagram. The plane lands safely, but the near-death experience solidifies Shane’s desire to end their secrecy. When Ilya returns, Shane surprises him by filling his living room with electric candles and proposing. Ilya joyfully accepts, and they plan to come out and marry in the summer. Two months later, in March, Ilya adopts a rescue dog named Anya. Shortly after, while visiting Hayden’s house, they share a passionate kiss outside that is inadvertently captured in a window’s reflection during a FanMail video Hayden is filming. The video goes viral, outing them to the world.

Farah drafts a PR statement confirming their relationship. Shane faces a hostile reception from his Montreal teammates, especially J.J., who feels betrayed. In contrast, Ilya’s coach, Brandon Wiebe, is supportive, revealing his own past relationship with a male teammate. Commissioner Crowell suspends both players, demanding they release a statement claiming the kiss was a prank. Shane and Ilya refuse, informing Crowell they are getting married and will not be intimidated. They post their own statement on Instagram. That night, J.J. visits Shane, and they begin to mend their friendship.

After their suspension is lifted, Ilya receives a warm welcome from his Ottawa teammates. The playoffs begin with a first-round series between Montreal and Ottawa, drawing immense media attention. The series goes to a decisive game seven. In overtime, Shane trips while defending against Ilya on a breakaway, allowing Ilya to score the series-winning goal. In the locker room, some of Shane’s devastated teammates insinuate that he threw the game on purpose. Heartbroken by the accusation, Shane decides his time in Montreal is over.

After Ottawa is eliminated from the playoffs, Ilya’s depression resurfaces. He finally tells Shane the full extent of his mental health struggles, and Shane offers his unconditional support. At his 30th birthday party, Shane symbolically ends his restrictive diet and officially leaves the Voyageurs. In July, he signs a new contract with the Ottawa Centaurs. Later that month, Shane and Ilya are married in their backyard, surrounded by supportive family, friends, and teammates.

In October, at the Ottawa Centaurs’ home opener, Shane and Ilya take the ice together as teammates and husbands, ready to begin a new, open chapter of their lives.