'SNL' taps Connor Storrie of 'Heated Rivalry' as next host
- - 'SNL' taps Connor Storrie of 'Heated Rivalry' as next host
Kelly Lawler, USA TODAYFebruary 1, 2026 at 10:41 PM
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Talk about someone "heating" up in Hollywood.
Connor Storrie, one of the two breakout stars of HBO Max's queer hockey romance "Heated Rivalry," will host the Feb. 28 episode of "Saturday Night Live," NBC announced during the Jan. 31 broadcast. He'll be joined by musical guest Mumford & Sons.
Storrie, 25, and co-star Hudson Williams have skyrocketed to fame since the December 2025 premiere of the Canadian series "Heated Rivalry" on HBO Max and quickly became a word-of-mouth sensation. Based on Rachel Reid's ongoing "Game Changers" book series, "Heated Rivalry" follows rival hockey stars Ilya (Storrie) and Shane (Williams) over years of a complicated romantic relationship as they play for opposing professional and Olympic teams.
Since the series' massive success, both stars have been making the rounds on a lengthy press tour, late night talk show appearances, a presentation at the Golden Globes and even carrying the Olympic torch for the upcoming Milan games. Now Storrie can add the venerated gig of "SNL" host to his quickly-lengthening resumé.
Connor Storrie attends W Magazine's Annual Best Performances Party at Chateau Marmont on Jan. 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.
"Honestly, we are working so much that I kind of just have to take it one day at a time. I mean, it's like I wake up, get ready, go somewhere, meet cool people and I look around and I'm like, 'I've seen this for so long on TV, it's so crazy to be here,'" Storrie said during a "Today" interview on Jan. 14.
Storrie's big debut on "SNL" follows a pattern during the show's 51st season of up-and-coming hosts and musical guests. This January featured multiple first-time hosts, including "Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard, "One Battle After Another" actress Teyana Taylor and Alexander Skarsgård, along with with musical guests A$AP Rocky, Geese and Cardi B.
coming up! pic.twitter.com/8RjY6mtYxp
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) February 1, 2026
It's been an eventful season for both hosts and cast members of the storied sketch comedy series.
Bowen Yang, one of the series' biggest recent stars, announced in December that he would leave in the middle Season 51. Yang's last episode aired Dec. 20. His unexpected goodbye came on the heels of several high-profile departures. Both Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner, who had spent several years on the storied sketch comedy show, shocked fans when they announced before the October premiere that they would not be returning. Their exits came amidst a wave of departures that also included Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'SNL' taps Connor Storrie of 'Heated Rivalry' as next host
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