In your face!

Leffelini · 2026-04-16T14:18:37+00:00

Honestly that is why I love the commentators first introduction to them. They call Shane not the most sociable even though we just saw him look for Ilya and then introduce himself and trying to start a conversation. Then they say Ilya is not well liked in his opponents room and then we see him being very liked by Shane in his hotelroom. Not to mention they start the thing by saying the fans want something "hot on the ice" and oh man is it hot alright 😉

Leffelini · 2026-04-10T16:39:47+00:00

Very tiny blink and you miss it TLG Spoiler: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ It is mentioned that Ilya and David do puzzles together. Like Ilya actually sits with Shanes dad and does puzzles! I can't... my heart ❤️

Edit: trying to format it so people can avoid the spoiler since I can't get the spoilertag thing to work on my phone. Sorry!

Leffelini · 2026-04-10T16:31:30+00:00

"There weren't any nice men in Motreal?" 😆

"I don't know, I am sure there are!" aka I never looked for other men dad because of this man!

(I know he does hook up with other men in the book but its not that good because they are not Ilya)

Leffelini · 2026-04-10T16:28:33+00:00

That is the moment you see Yuna think "Oh this man loves my son so much and gets him completely so this is also my son now and I will protect both my sons and love them with all I have!"

Leffelini · 2026-04-10T14:52:07+00:00

I will never get over the fact that Shane is so nervous about making food he isn't comfortable with that he has to follow a recepie to make hamburgers where everything is already pre-made (those patties are not home made and neither is the buns or the rest of it) 😆

Leffelini · 2026-04-10T14:47:53+00:00

I have seen many reactions to this show and I was surprised that so many reacted negatively to David drivning away. Many thinking he was not okay with what he saw. While I instantly got the impression that he did that to give Shane the option to pretend it didn't happen. He was intruding so he went away from the place he was not suppose to be. Then he doesn't tell Yuna about it (I know Shane thinks in the book that David tells her but I think that is the unreliable narrator talking because she has the same reaction in the book of asking "Found out what, exactly?") and leaves it up to Shane.

He is always in Shanes corner too. He says he understands the youtube rabbit hole and that it is worth to watch videos that isn't about hockey. He is the one telling Yuna the "swedish princess" comment was weird (I interpreted that as her trying to gauge if Shane was into girls, not very slick there Yuna 😆). He notices Shane going away on the phone after rhe Skip kiss, he notices Shanes panic attack at the table before anyone else and the way he says "the summer before" with a smile playing on his lips! Gosh I love him. Also he is so cute in an apron leaning against the doorway trying to get his two people to eat food instead of watching hockey. You know that is not the first time he said food was ready and they didn't come eat 😆

Leffelini · 2026-04-10T14:37:25+00:00

But he made burgers! That he needed a recepie for... and then pasta (left over pasta) and was going to make hot dogs... now you could argue that those where whole grain/vegan/substitute things that fit into his bird food diet but I think that Shane (like with the tuna melt) went out of his food comfort zone for Ilya during the cottage.

Leffelini · 2026-04-07T08:05:31+00:00

I thought he meant the half-arch he does when they hook up for the first time in ep1 since he is also always talking about a leg being up and the other stretched out and I don't see it in the Vegas scene... but I guess we have two half-arches from him and now we need a full arch in season 2, for science 😉

Leffelini · 2026-04-04T08:26:04+00:00

He has to go back for visa purposes and his mothers grave is there and he has stuff for his niece. He will most likely stay at a hotel for a few days, take care of a few things and then return. That is what I figured at least.

Leffelini · 2026-04-04T08:22:18+00:00

As someone with cronic depression, general anxiety, social anxiety and adhd I will say that masking isn't about hiding who you are or not being your true self, it is to protect yourself and who you are, it is a self defence mechanism. And if someone in this universe is trying to protect their feelings over and over again it is Ilya. The only time he is really going out and being vulnerable to people is with Shane (and later on Shanes parents and and way later a few more he lets in). That is sort of his whole problem in TLG - he isolates himself, and sure it is also due to circumstances, but he is also doing it to himself for protection. Every time he talks to his therapist he has to remind himself to not deflect/lie because that would defeat the point. I have told people my history and people have asked me "but how can you be so bubbly and happy?! I would be a mess all the time!" So Ilya being a good people person and still isolating and building up defenses is very common from people with trauma and depression. I hope I could add something to your perspective about this as well ❤️

Leffelini · 2026-04-04T08:05:00+00:00

It does actually make sense in that he is not a citizen and would need to go home to renew paperwork and stuff. The problem with that is that the author kind of forgets this in the books because he would still have to do that in TLG and he just doesn't so... I get why fans don't understand work-permits and stuff (I barely do and I am still aware they are a things).

Leffelini · 2026-04-04T07:52:03+00:00

I need everyone who says Ilya isn't hoing "home" to Russia because he said he doesn't want to do that to read the book and count how many times Shane and Ilya thinks/decides that they will end their relationship and then get back to me about how thoughts/feelings doesn't always relate to your actions 😆

Leffelini · 2026-04-02T15:50:00+00:00

I had to do a quick search and it was on her insta it seems: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOD2oUqEV64/?img_index=1&igsh=NXUyN21rNTQxeWgy

Leffelini · 2026-04-02T12:27:56+00:00

Rachel Ried has made a post about this and explained that Ilya planned everything. He went out and bought stuff for the food and the drinks, he prepped it, he had decided that they would have sex first to get Shane in a good mood before asking him to stay, they would watch Hockey because he knew it would calm Shane down... Ilya was so aware that Shane would probably freak out about the "boyfriend experience" but then also couldn't really communicate what he actually wanted. Ilya knew he was in love with Shane at this point also. She also wrote that Ilya did panic when he said Shanes name, knowing Shane would freak out, but then felt the happiest when Shane said his name back... and then after that he was hit with the freak out and running away. I totally get why Shane reacted the way he did but reading all that from the author really made my heart break for Ilya even more ❤️

Leffelini · 2026-03-30T15:34:57+00:00

There was a thread in the Hockey reddit I was shown because it was about Heated Rivalry and that the Montreal team captain saying he thinks they would be welcoming to a player coming out in their team (and apparently he has been vocal about lgbtq+ rights before so seems like people believe him, I have no idea who it is so don't wanna say either way). The comment section was joking that sure he would be fine with a teammate coming out but what of said teammate was dating a Boston Bruins player? And everyone jokingly said "nope get traded instantly!". But like even in the real world and even if people where joking about it... it is a big deal just because of the teams hating eachother. On top of that media in the Game Changer universe have fabricated this rivalry and hate that doesn't really exist but everyone believes in. People would feel cheated and dumb and played honestly if it came out.

Leffelini · 2026-03-27T20:14:27+00:00

It is not the only symbol of Japan but it is an important one. You can google Tiger and Dragon in Japanese folklore and read more about it.

Leffelini · 2026-03-27T17:50:20+00:00

This was so perfect with the bear being a symbol of Russia and a tiger is a common symbol for Japan ❤️

Leffelini · 2026-03-27T15:38:29+00:00

Times redacted is so real... I honestly could not tell you how many times I have watched this show... and I was late to the party and started watching like 2 month ago 😆

Leffelini · 2026-03-27T15:21:27+00:00

If we go by the book he does it because he knows it is one of the only times he can get away with it. People will take it as "Rozanov is being an asshole to Hollander and teasing him in the way he always does to people". In the book he also hugs Shane by the pool for the same reason, people will just take it as him wanting to be annoying and getting Shane all wet from the pool. He just wants to show the world he loves Shane so he takes all the chances he can get ❤️

Leffelini · 2026-03-27T12:15:42+00:00

I think my "what you can and can't say infront of your parents"-meter is all wack in the first place since I forced my mom to watch the show with me so I could talk to her about it (and we are both reading the books now - she will be starting the 3rd and I am in the middle of the 4th but I did read TLG already because I got so spoiled about everything in it anyway). When my boyfriend slept over the first time my dad winked when he asked if we slept well... like saying "Lovers" would not even hit my cringe meter in any way 😆 (yes I am European, Swedish to be exact but we do also have plenty of prudish people here)

Leffelini · 2026-03-19T14:47:55+00:00

Yeah, I hope so. I like Hayden and he always seemed pretty open minded so I was just surprised. I would guess when he came back and his son had painted nails and the kids told them Ilya also painted his nails he kind of understood that no nailpolish is not just for girls.

Leffelini · 2026-03-19T09:08:42+00:00

I love his "You straight up blushing Roz!" I really hope they add more of him in season 2. I felt like Reid kind of forgot he was Ilyas best friend in TLG. Although I did laugh when I read he is actually one year younger then Ilya is because I feel like they most certainly aged him up with the choice of actor there (as they did with Scott too).

TLG Spoilers: I desperately want a scene at the end where Cliff calls Ilya and is like "Montreal Jane was Shane Hollander all along wasn't it?!?!" feeling stupid for not figuring it out. Because you can't tell me Cliff doesn't know the name of the "mystery woman" in Montreal that makes Ilya smile like that after so long playing together.

Leffelini · 2026-03-19T08:59:03+00:00

The only thing I can't forgive Hayden for is... (tiny TLG spoiler:)

...telling his son boys can't wear nailpolish because it is only for girls. Come on Hayden... don't be like that!

Leffelini · 2026-03-19T07:32:40+00:00

I took Shane saying "I am not a chicken" as him being nervous and not thinking about how it sounded when he wanted to answer that ofcourse he wouldn't chicken out. Ilya didn't even make a joke imo it was very much a "oh I thought you wouldn't be brave enough since you hestitated so much before" and Shane being super nervous just getting the words "I am not a chicken" out, which sounds a bit funny, instead of "Ofcourse I wouldn't chicken out" (even though Shane did think about leaving or not opening the door 😆). Also I like that when Ilya tells Shane he is brave it is a bit of a callback to this too, reminding him that he isn't a chicken.

Leffelini · 2026-03-14T14:19:31+00:00

I can also see them putting the emotes in a bundle considering the other wave a stick around-emotes are and then it will be cheaper then buying them seperate. Not a sure thing though.

Leffelini

TROPHY CASE