Ilya Rozanov

Ilya Grigoryevich Rozanov (Russian: Илья Григорьевич Розанов) is a fictional character in Rachel Reid's sports romance novel series Game Changers (2018–2022) and its television adaptation Heated Rivalry (2025–present). He appears in all six published novels, serving as a main character in Heated Rivalry (2019) and The Long Game (2022), the second and sixth installments of the series, and as a supporting character in the fifth installment, Role Model (2021). He is also set to be the main character in the upcoming seventh installment, Unrivaled (2027). In the novels, Ilya is portrayed as a Russian professional ice hockey player and captain of fictional National Hockey League teams, known for his abrasive on-ice persona and reputation as a playboy. Privately, he struggles with clinical depression and a difficult family situation, and conceals his bisexuality and relationship with his league rival, Shane Hollander. In 2025, the novel series was adapted for television, with Jacob Tierney serving as director, writer, and executive producer for Crave. In the adaptation, Ilya is portrayed by American actor Connor Storrie and reimagined as the captain of a Boston-based team in a fictional professional hockey league, with the series expanding upon his background and life in Russia. Storrie received critical acclaim for his performance, particularly for his command of the Russian language and accent as a non-native speaker.