This past Thanksgiving holiday weekend, there’s one thing that gays everywhere were thankful for: Hockey player butts Heated Rivalry.

The hot-and-heavy hockey romance series set the internet ablaze with its two-episode premiere, which introduced audiences to Canadian wunderkind Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian-born bad boy Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), star players for rival teams who nevertheless begin a secret, years-long, and very physical affair.

It only took that shared water bottle moment some seven minutes into the first episode to convince us of the stars’ irresistible chemistry, and by the end of the second episode (and many hotel bedroom scenes later) we knew we needed to see these two crazy kids make it work somehow.

But before you get that “SHANE + ILYA 4EVER” tattoo inked, make sure you save some room for two more names because it seems like Heated Rivalry is getting ready to introduce another steamy romance…

As you may know, Heated Rivalry is actually the second in a series of novels from author Rachel Reid dubbed Game Changers, with each book focused on a different queer relationship within the wider world of hockey (with the exception of her latest, The Long Game, which is a direct sequel to Shane & Ilya’s story).

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“These are people who learn about each other through f*cking, so the sex didn’t feel gratuitous,” the creator of the gay hockey romance explains.

Reid’s first book from 2018 is itself called Game Changer, and it’s the story of hockey pro Scott Hunter falling for Kip Grady, the flirty juice bar employee who made him a smoothie before the game that finally broke his performance slump.

Now, if you haven’t been too distracted by Shane and Ilya’s *ahem* assets, you’ll recall that we’ve actually already met Scott within the world of the show: He’s played by François Arnaud, the French-Canadian heartthrob who first made a big impression on The Borgias, and has more recently appeared in queer projects like Yellowjackets and Twinless.

Though Scott plays for New York’s hockey team in Reid’s original book, in this series he’s introduced as a more senior teammate of Shane’s on the Montreal Metros. The two are amiable enough, but Arnaud’s Scott seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to Shane’s secret, or at least that has a hunch he’s hiding something. And it’s probably because he’s hiding something, too.

We have yet to see Kip, although the character was introduced in a series of photos from Canadian streamer Crave, which announced he’d be played by actor Robbie G.K., who should look familiar to fans of Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating (he played the handsome nurse who hooked up with Benny’s sister Grace).

But here’s why we think Shane’s going to be meeting Kip sooner than later:

Last month, the series’ official Instagram account shared the titles for each episode of the season—well, all but Episode 3, which was given an intriguing “******” placeholder. So why keep it a mystery? Could it be called “Game Changer,” or possibly something like “Smoothie,” indicating the show would momentarily shift perspectives to tell Scott and Kip’s story.

Adding fuel to the fire, on a social post about the episode, Arnaud himself commented “don’t #skip this,” a clever nod to the ‘ship name fans have given their characters: Scott + Kip = Skip, get it?

Of course, the theory only brings up more questions than answers: Would the whole episode be dedicated to Scott and Kip, sidelining Shane and Ilya in the process? Will it be an abbreviated adaptation of Reid’s Game Changer book, detailing their meet-cute and burgeoning romance, or will Heated Rivalry bypass that so that the pair’s already in a relationship (effectively leaving space for their prequel down the line)?

Whatever the case may be, we love the idea that Shane Hollander might have someone playing for his team, both literally and metaphorically, in Scott. Though Shane’s clearly having trouble coming to terms with his feelings for Ilya and his sexuality, the more seasoned Scott could become something of a mentor, or at least a safe person to talk to about what he’s feeling.

In that sense, Heated Rivalry has an opportunity to do something pretty rare here: Depicting platonic gay male friendship on screen—not to mention showcasing camaraderie among queer teammates in professional sports.

Thus far, the series has been celebrated precisely for its intimate scope, focusing almost entirely on Shane and Ilya’s evolving dynamic as it plays out behind closed doors (hockey is practically an afterthought). But by broadening things just a bit, fully bringing Scott and Kip into the mix, there’s potential for even more impactful storytelling.

And while audiences might be a bit worried about the thought of losing some Shane & Ilya screen-time, we promise you’re not going to be mad about seeing Arnaud’s Scott and G.K’s Kip on the ice (or in the bedroom) either. Here’s just a taste of what’s in store: