Actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, best known for playing fierce hockey rivals on the TV series "Heated Rivalry," are stepping into a real Olympic role after being chosen as torchbearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The two stars, who portray Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, will take part in the Olympic Torch Relay as it travels through Italy ahead of the opening ceremony next month in Milan.

While they will not compete on the ice, their role places them directly in one of the most visible traditions of the Olympic Games.

According to FoxNews, the Winter Olympics are scheduled to run from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22, 2026.

Storrie and Williams were selected to help carry the Olympic flame during its journey across Italy.

The relay begins in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, before moving through host countries.

As of Thursday, the torch was in Trieste, Italy, with 13 cities still left before it reaches Milan. Details about the actors' exact relay locations or dates have not yet been shared.

The casting feels fitting for fans of "Heated Rivalry," a sports romance series centered on elite-level hockey.

HBO Max Deal Sends 'Heated Rivalry' Into the Spotlight

The show is based on Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" novels and tells the story of a complicated off-ice romance between a fictional Canadian hockey star and a fictional Russian pro.

Although the rivalry is intense on screen, Storrie and Williams have become fan favorites off screen.

The series has already made a strong impact. It was renewed for a second season, and its popularity surged after HBO Max picked up US streaming rights in late November, NBC News reported.

That move brought new attention to the show and its cast, pushing them into a much larger spotlight.

"I knew it was going to be something. I did not know it was going to be HBO," Storrie said last week on NBC's "TODAY" show.

"I think HBO was kind of like a pie-in-the-sky moment for all of us. HBO is so prestigious, and I think it's a really good platform for this, but, you know, nothing's promised."

The show even plays with Olympic history in its own fictional world. In one storyline, Latvia earns an upset win over Rozanov's Team Russia during the alternate reality of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a detail that earned praise from fans for its creativity.