Connor Storrie SNL: Heated Rivalry Star Hosts Saturday Night Live Season 51, Hudson Williams Cameos
Connor Storrie made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on February 28, 2026 ET, delivering one of Season 51's most electric episodes as the Heated Rivalry breakout star brought Olympic hockey royalty, a Hudson Williams cameo, and a cold open skewering the Iran bombings to Studio 8H. SNL airs live Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Who Is Connor Storrie? Heated Rivalry, SNL Debut, and How He Got Here
Actor Connor Storrie rose to fame as Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov on the series Heated Rivalry, which already received the parody treatment during Finn Wolfhard's January 17 SNL episode in a Harry Potter inspired sketch called Heated Wizardry.
Colorado-born and Texas-raised, Storrie is not Russian by any stretch — he is simply a master of his craft. In his first major starring role as Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry, Storrie fooled large numbers of fans into believing he genuinely was Russian, so convincing was his accent work throughout the series.
The hockey drama is based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series. Storrie plays Ilya Rozanov opposite Hudson Williams as Canadian hockey star Shane Hollander. Heated Rivalry aired on HBO Max and became a massive hit for the streamer in its first season.
Storrie was working as a waiter before getting cast in the show that, as he noted himself in the monologue, taught straight women that their sexual orientation was gay men. He reminded the SNL audience that he has been preparing for a moment like this since he was twelve years old.
Connor Storrie SNL Monologue: Olympic Hockey Teams, Women's Team Trump Controversy
Storrie kicked off his opening monologue by declaring: "I am so excited to be here. Now, some of you may have seen literally all of me on my show. It's a show that has taught a lot of people about hockey, and it's taught a lot of straight women that their sexuality is actually gay guy."
Storrie then brought out brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes of the gold medal-winning US men's American hockey team. The brothers admitted they had not watched Heated Rivalry yet. "I got my teeth knocked out in the finals, does that happen in your show?" Jack Hughes asked. "Metaphorically," Storrie replied with a knowing smirk.
When Storrie said he hoped some hockey players had watched Heated Rivalry, USA women's hockey stars Megan Keller and Hilary Knight came out to roaring applause. "Don't worry, we saw your show," Keller told Storrie. Knight joked that it was going to be just the two of them but they thought they would invite the guys too — adding: "We thought we'd give them a little moment to shine."
The appearance referenced a controversy that erupted when the men's hockey team won at the Olympics and Donald Trump called to invite them to attend the State of the Union address. The women's team declined Trump's invitation, citing scheduling conflicts, while the men's team did attend.
Hudson Williams SNL Cameo: Heated Rivalry Reunion at Rockefeller Center Ice Rink
As inklings of Hudson Williams' potential SNL cameo percolated in the days leading up to the show, Williams glided — or rather, crashed — onto Studio 8H ice during a sketch filmed outside the Rink at Rockefeller Center, joining Storrie alongside cast members Mikey Day and Ben Marshall.
During the Rockefeller Center sketch, Storrie played a guy on a bachelor party, ice skating and having fun with his friends, while Tommy Brennan and Veronika Slowikowska's characters suffered through a disastrous failed proposal nearby. Williams zoomed onto the ice to thunderous applause midway through the bit.
Later in the show, Williams joined Storrie to introduce musical guest Mumford and Sons, whose performance included a surprise appearance by Hozier as the two acts performed together. Williams was also present at goodnights, appearing alongside the full cast for the episode's closing moments.
SNL Cold Open: Trump Bombs Iran, "Bored of Peace"
The cold open featured James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump addressing the nation after bombing Iran, alongside Colin Jost as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Asked what war is good for, Johnson's Trump replied: "Distracting from the Epstein files." Trump claimed he launched the attack late Friday night for two reasons: it was after the stock market closed, and it drives the Saturday Night Live writers crazy because they have to throw everything out and start all over again.
The cold open's title was a sharp one-liner that became the episode's most-quoted moment online: "My Board of Peace decided we were bored of peace."
Where to Watch SNL, What Time SNL Airs, and What Is Next
SNL airs live Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Cord-cutters can watch it live on DirecTV, Sling, or Hulu + Live TV. Peacock is the official streaming home of SNL for next-day viewing of full episodes.
Next up: Ryan Gosling hosts SNL on March 7 with musical guest Gorillaz making their SNL debut. Harry Styles then pulls double duty as both host and musical guest on March 14, promoting his fourth solo studio album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, released March 6.
