In Rachel Reid's books, fictional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov create the Irina Foundation to raise money and awareness for mental illness.Sabrina Lantos/The Associated Press
The Toronto-based production company behind Heated Rivalry has announced the launch of Irina Foundation, a new fund dedicated to promoting mental well-being and inclusivity through organized sports and arts programs.
The foundation, launched by Accent Aigu Entertainment, will likely sound familiar to fans of Heated Rivalry or author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. In the books (and briefly teased in Heated Rivalry’s first season), fictional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov start a charity of the same name to raise money and awareness for mental illness.
Named after Ilya’s late mother Irina, the foundation ultimately serves as a symbol of Shane and Ilya’s love for one another – and, at least at first, as a means of concealing their deepening romantic relationship with each other.
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The real-life Irina Foundation was created by Accent Aigu Entertainment co-founders Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady, and announced on opening day of the 2026-27 NHL season. It will support organizations that create inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ and other underserved communities.
“For many of us, some of life’s most meaningful moments happen on a team, in a studio or on a stage – places where we find our people, discover what lights us up and feel like we belong,” said Tierney and Brady in a media release. “We’ve been incredibly lucky to build something we love and along the way find a community that means so much to us. The Foundation is our way of giving back.”
The real-life Irina Foundation, created by Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady, was announced on opening day of the 2026-27 NHL season.Sabrina Lantos/The Associated Press
The donor-advised fund has been established in Canada through TD Wealth’s Private Giving Foundation. In the U.S., the fund will be powered by Panorama Global, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that will provide the requisite philanthropic scaffolding for the foundation under U.S. charity law.
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Kate Spade New York will be Irina Foundation’s inaugural donor. (Spade, the iconic fashion designer and entrepreneur, died by suicide in 2018.) U.S. men’s grooming brand Harry’s will also join as an early supporter of the fund.
“We hope to channel the love people have for the world Rachel has created, and for Shane and Ilya, into something that can make a meaningful difference in the real world,” said Jayme Alter Wilson, president of Accent Aigu Entertainment, in a statement.
Filming for Heated Rivalry’s second season is under way. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams will reprise their roles as Ilya and Shane. The show’s second season will also include newcomers Justice Smith, Charlie Gillespie, Emily Hampshire, Milla Jovovich, Paul Gross and Priyanka.
While a specific release date has not yet been confirmed for season two, it is expected to hit Canadian streaming service Crave in spring 2027.