Michael Kutryk, the owner of the cottage that became a fan-favorite location in Heated Rivalry season one, says he had to think it over before agreeing to let production return for season two filming, which began earlier this month.
Speaking to HGTV, Kutryk explained that he weighed his options rather than immediately saying yes. "I did a little bit of soul searching about allowing them to come back," he said. "I know they need it, and I realize I [could] be difficult and try to squeeze them, but I [couldn't] bring myself to do that. When they called, they said, 'How much do you want?' First, I told them they scratched my table, then I named a very reasonable price. They were shocked and appreciative. I actually didn't even get them to replace my table."
The cottage played a pivotal emotional role in season one of the HBO Max and Crave hockey romance, which stars Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov. In the show, Shane invites his secret lover Ilya to the private cottage for a two-week stay, a period that draws the two closer and leads to them confessing their love for one another. The location also becomes the setting for a turning point in their relationship after Shane's father accidentally discovers the couple together, prompting them to come out to Shane's parents.
Following the show's breakout success after its December 2025 release, Kutryk said he began fielding calls from Airbnb interested in renting the property. After receiving "an offer too good to refuse," he agreed to rent the cottage out from spring through fall.
Whether he'll continue welcoming visitors beyond season two remains uncertain. "We'll see after season two airs what demand is like," Kutryk told HGTV. "It's still true: I'm a private guy," he added. "This is my retreat. I built this to get away from the world, so I don't know how much longer I'll continue to share it. [And] I already share it: There's a huge buck who lives with his harem on the property, and when I was trying to plant the flower beds, I came upon three different patches of turtle eggs. They still come and lay their eggs there."
Heated Rivalry season two is scheduled for a spring 2027 release on Crave and HBO Max. Alongside returning stars Williams and Storrie, the cast has expanded to include Charlie Gillespie, Justice Smith, Daniel Diemer and Shaheen Jafargholi.
Photo: SWinxy, CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
