13 Things You'd Never Know About the Cottage From 'Heated Rivalry'

I’ll proudly admit it: I have succumbed to the obsession, joined the cult, taken a vow of faith to the phenomenon that is Heated Rivalry. Like more than 10 million other viewers, I am deeply devoted to the HBO Max hit series about competing hockey players, Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), who improbably, but perfectly, fall in love. In the first season’s penultimate episode, Ilya accepts Shane’s invitation to spend two weeks at his lakeside cabin in the woods. “I’m coming to the cottage,” he famously said — as viewers everywhere shrieked with glee. (Guilty as charged.)

The next episode of the show, simply titled “The Cottage,” takes place at Shane’s stunning hideaway — a real-life home in Canada’s idyllic Muskoka, Ontario, region. The private residence has never been available as a vacation rental … until now. Jayne McCaw, the owner of Jayne’s Luxury Rentals, added the home to her portfolio of properties in February 2026. “It was a dream come true,” she said of landing the listing. “I knew it was going to be hugely popular.” Through a combination of early-bird timing and polite persistence, I was able to snag a coveted full-week rental at the beginning of July. Then, I called my best friend and fellow Heated Rivalry fanatic and screamed: “We’re coming to the cottage!” Three months and a 10-hour drive later, we arrived at the honest-to-god Cottage — and what I learned over my seven-night stay was almost as thrilling as watching the show for the first time.

I told myself most of the sleek, masculine design choices seen on the show were likely the work of talented set designers. Nope. From the throw pillows to the light fixtures to the midcentury modern furniture, nearly everything from Heated Rivalry's “The Cottage” episode exists in the Cottage itself. Like any good loons (what we Heated Rivalry superfans call ourselves), we watched the show while sitting on the actual couch from Shane and Ilya’s reunion scene. “Is that … the same cactus?” my bestie asked me, looking over at the plant in the corner and then at the plant on screen. Sure is. Even the potted plants are the same. Though there is one huge exception.

The blue couch where Shane takes a hilariously distracting phone call from his teammate Hayden does not face any sort of video game console, nor could it: there’s a fireplace there instead.

The Muskoka area is known for sprawling lakeside homes often built in a log-cabin or rustic shingle style. The Cottage is an outlier: Relatively compact (with three bedrooms) and decidedly modern and edgy, it is largely composed of glass, steel and wood. Even the black finish outside is due to an intentional charring of the wood, not any sort of stain. When viewed from the water, the home almost seems to float within the forest; its natural wood tones and glass blend into the surrounding trees and rock face.

Cutting-edge modernity continues inside. In the glass-walled “muskoka room” (a Canadian term for an enclosed porch), the walls accordion into themselves to the point of disappearing — but then the touch of a button summons an almost invisible mesh screen that rolls down from the ceiling, preserving the view while keeping bugs at bay.

Another remote summons a hidden TV from within a wooden half wall, which can then pivot to face either the kitchen or lounge area, perfect for an HR rewatch (us loons call that a re-heat) while preparing burgers.

Those privacy blinds in the primary bedroom are real. Yet another remote creates a cascade of mesh panels to block out the sun. However, the bed offers one of the best views of the lake and the surrounding woods — and absolutely zero neighbors. Which means Ilya was right: no need to close the blinds.

For all the cool technology embedded in the home, there is one modern convenience noticeably lacking: no air conditioning. At all. There’s one ceiling fan in the entire home. We got by thanks to oscillating fans in the bedroom, and because the home's entire lower level (which features a walk-out to the lake) is partially underground and therefore significantly cooler. Future renters take note: this is not an upgrade coming to the house anytime soon. Not only do the floor-to-ceiling glass panels make window units impossible, but the home’s designer (Toronto-based architect Trevor McIvor) was adamant that hiding ductwork for central air would ruin the aesthetic. Instead, the home was sited to best take advantage of prevailing winds. The overall philosophy? You’ve come to the Cottage to be in nature, not to seal yourself into an artificially cooled environment. So, open up those glass walls, let the lake breezes handle the rest — and drag a fan from room to room if need be.

Embedded LEDs in the stair risers and the ceiling rafters make the home literally glow from within.

At night, the exterior of the home almost looks like one huge, shimmering ember. It's decidedly romantic.

Season 1 didn’t show any of the home’s lower level, which boasts two additional bedrooms and two additional bathrooms — including one with a fantastic freestanding soaker tub. (Dare we dream of a Hollanov bubble bath scene?) There's even a small home gym. (Perfect for those off-season workouts.) There’s also an entertainment area with a massive television and surround sound — though we did most of our viewing on the pop-up television upstairs since it was the best place to enjoy the fabulous lakeside sunsets.

We all know that Shane and Ilya love a good shower moment. So, imagine my surprise that the Cottage’s stunning primary bath — complete with a walk-in shower big enough for two and not one but two windows with lake views— didn’t appear on air. With any luck, this deeply dreamy section of the house will still have its moment to shine during Season 2. And, yes, the primary bedroom is the only one with an en suite, just as Shane says. (He’s incorrect about every room having a king-sized bed, however: they're all queens.)

Most Muskoka lake homes have a boathouse and dock that enable easy entry into and out of the water, and the boathouse often doubles as a guesthouse. The Cottage surprisingly has neither — but not for long. Construction is currently underway on a two-bed, two-bath boathouse on the property that will also have a deep-water dock. It looks like a mini replica of the Cottage. If it also becomes available for rent, I’ll have my calendar ready.