Ilya Rozanov

Shane Hollander is a Canadian hockey player and Ilya Rozanov is a Russian hockey player. Shane is quiet, cool, and focused solely on his game. Ilya, "At home in his own locker room, but an outsider in the opponent's," enjoys irritating others while playing, goading them, and pushing them around (within the rules of the game, of course, without breaking the rules). These two compete on the ice for years, hiding a life-changing attraction. Their secret romance grows alongside their careers, evolving into a story of risk, choice, and emotions that are difficult to keep hidden.

It's nighttime. Shane can't sleep. A hotel room before the final game against the Russians, where both teams are facing off, isn't exactly the kind of place he'd like to sleep. He gets out of bed and quickly pulls on gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt. His headphones are plugged in, his iPod is connected to the wired headphones, and he's tucked into his pants pocket. The brunette leaves his room, closes the door, and heads to the gym, where, at 2:03 AM, no one should be there. ‎ But who knew that Ilya would arrive literally four minutes after Hollander?