Connor Storrie hosts ‘SNL’ with assist from Olympic hockey players and Hudson Williams

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Connor Storrie, the star of the popular Canadian hockey romance “Heated Rivalry,” was a perfect guest host for “Saturday Night Live.” He brought a lot of charm and energy to the show, even though some of the sketches weren’t as strong as they could have been.

Last month, “Saturday Night Live” joked about the show by combining it with “Harry Potter,” featuring athlete Storrie. Given the recent excitement around hockey – especially Team USA’s Olympic gold medals – having Storrie host felt particularly clever. It became even more special when players from the men’s and women’s hockey teams appeared, along with Storrie’s co-star, Hudson Williams, from the HBO Max series “Heated Rivalry.” The audience clearly loved seeing Williams, proving the show has gained a lot of viewers since its November debut.

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The popular show has inspired fans to throw dance parties and create themed merchandise, fostering a friendly community built around their shared love for the story’s LGBTQ+ hockey romance.

Storrie’s performance stood out as a highlight of the show, which overall felt uneven. Many of the sketches weren’t strong, including a predictable opening and an early bit that mainly seemed to showcase Marcello Hernández doing a silly, over-the-top teacher impression.

The show improved with a pre-recorded historical sketch featuring playful glove slaps, and a funny bit with Williams about a disastrous marriage proposal constantly interrupted by ice skaters at Rockefeller Center. Storrie also shone in several roles: a kind teenager helping his awkward tutor and parents, a friend supporting someone through unusual leg-lengthening surgery, and an office worker initiating an impromptu office dance. However, Storrie’s standout performance was arguably as a severely injured stripper at a Las Vegas bachelorette party.

Storrie generally performed well with many different kinds of characters, adding some intensity and charm that the show didn’t quite know how to utilize effectively.

Mumford & Sons teamed up with Aaron Dessner of The National, Hozier, and Sierra Ferrell for special performances. They played “Rubber Band Man” with Hozier and “Here” with Sierra Ferrell.

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Okay, so the show opened this week with everything going on with Iran. They had Alec Baldwin as Trump explaining why he authorized the strike at, like, 2 AM on a Saturday. He basically admitted it was to mess with the ‘SNL’ writers and, get this, he launched into a rendition of ‘War!’ but changed the lyrics to be about distracting everyone from the Epstein files. Seriously! Then they brought out Colin Jost as the Secretary of Defense, who was chugging non-alcoholic Four Loco and showing off some temporary tattoos that said ‘EPIC FURY.’ It was wild. They even took a quick detour to praise the GameCube – Hegseth said he used to play ‘Prince of Persia’ on it, which was a funny little moment. Then Hegseth explained they took out a ‘horrendous’ leader, and Trump jumped in with a warning: ‘But don’t get any ideas!’ It was a pretty pointed opening, definitely addressing current events with their usual satirical edge.

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I was really enjoying the panel discussion! The actor from ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Storrie, had everyone laughing when he talked about how the show not only got people into hockey, but apparently also made some straight women realize they were into guys like him – a funny line! He shared some cool stories about growing up in Texas and his life before acting, and how quickly he had to learn to play a Russian hockey player for the show. Then, Jack and Quinn Hughes from the men’s Olympic team joined him, which was great. But honestly, the biggest reaction from the audience came when Hilary Knight and Megan Keller, players from the women’s Olympic team, came on stage. Hilary joked that they’d invited the guys just to let them have their moment, and Megan playfully added that they figured the guys could use a little spotlight. It was a really fun, lighthearted moment, and the crowd clearly loved seeing the women get some recognition.

Best sketch of the night: How dare they save the best jokes for a video sketch!

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A fancy party in 1892 London takes a turn for the ridiculous when a disagreement between two men (played by Mikey Day and Storrie) quickly turns physical. After exchanging insults and a couple of glove slaps, the argument escalates as someone breaks the unspoken rule of polite fighting by throwing a punch. The slapstick quickly spirals out of control, even involving a dog and a baby! Storrie’s comedic delivery is a highlight, and the sketch is refreshing because it avoids the over-the-top violence that many recent SNL digital shorts have relied on.

Also good: Tipping is appreciated for dancing while hurt

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Saturday Night Live has done countless bachelorette party sketches, but this one was different. Instead of the usual tropes, it featured performer James Austin Johnson showing off his physique and having his pants ripped off. Beyond the visual appeal, the sketch delivered strong physical comedy. Johnson played an injured stripper who, despite being hit by a car, attempts to perform for a bachelorette party. He hilariously struggles to stand and moves around, flailing and falling amidst the confused bachelorettes (played by Melissa Villaseñor, Sarah Sherman, Veronika Slowikowska and Jane Wickline), who are unsure whether to be disgusted or entertained.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: Advice to future maids of honor — avoid headlines

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This week’s “Weekend Update” character sketches didn’t quite land. Sherman’s portrayal of the mother of the baby monkey, Punch, felt forced and relied too much on suggestive humor. While slightly improved, it still wasn’t very strong. Similarly, Slowikowska’s character, a maid of honor making jokes about current events like the situation in Mexico, the Epstein case, and the war in Ukraine, didn’t quite connect with the audience. It seemed like a promising idea during rehearsals, but the confusing concept didn’t translate well on stage.

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2026-03-02 10:05