Quiz The Long Game--A Gay Sports Romance Rachel Reid

The Long Game by Rachel Reid – 20-Question Book Quiz

Whether you have just finished The Long Game or are revisiting Shane and Ilya’s story, this quiz will put your memory to the test. Covering plot details, character motivations, themes, and big-picture ideas, the questions draw on the entire novel—from the front-matter warning to the epilogue. If you need a refresher, check out the book summary or the ending explained. For deeper discussion, visit the questions and answers page.

Quiz Questions

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

  1. Multiple choice – In Chapter One, who does Ilya and Shane first tell about their relationship?
    a) Hayden Pike
    b) Farah Jalali
    c) J.J.
    d) Coach Wiebe

  2. Short answer – What event forces Ilya to send Shane a desperate Instagram message from the team plane?

  3. Multiple choice – During the All-Star weekend, which player’s drunken knock nearly exposes the couple?
    a) Scott Hunter
    b) Cliff Marlow
    c) Troy Barrett
    d) Wyatt Hayes

  4. Short answer – In what room does Ilya bring Shane after his parents leave, and what object does he use during their intimate scene?

  5. Multiple choice – How does the couple’s secret become public?
    a) Ilya posts a photo accidentally
    b) A FanMail video captures them kissing through a window reflection
    c) Shane’s teammate walks in on them
    d) Commissioner Crowell releases a statement

  6. Short answer – What does Commissioner Crowell demand Shane and Ilya sign after the video leak?

  7. Multiple choice – Which team does Shane sign with at the end of the novel?
    a) Montreal Voyageurs
    b) Ottawa Centaurs
    c) New York Admirals
    d) Boston Bears

  8. Short answer – Name the dog Ilya adopts from Harris Drover’s family apple farm.

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Multiple choice – Why does Shane initially resist coming out publicly?
    a) He is not sure about his feelings for Ilya
    b) He fears losing his NHL career and the “long game” strategy of waiting until retirement
    c) His parents forbid it
    d) He wants to focus only on winning the Stanley Cup

  2. Short answer – What prompts Ilya to start attending therapy with Dr. Galina Molchalina?

  3. Multiple choice – Why does Ilya confront Commissioner Crowell at the All-Star Game?
    a) Crowell refuses to let him play
    b) Crowell dismisses Troy Barrett’s activism and suggests one gay player is enough
    c) Crowell tries to trade him
    d) Crowell insults Shane’s performance

  4. Short answer – During their Christmas argument, what does Ilya reveal he sacrificed for Shane?

  5. Multiple choice – What does Ilya do when he sees Troy Barrett coming out during Pride Night?
    a) He feels jealous but supports him
    b) He begs Troy to stay in the closet
    c) He ignores Troy completely
    d) He announces his own engagement on the spot

Theme and Symbol (4 questions)

  1. Multiple choice – The mirror scene in Chapter Twenty symbolizes what development in Shane?
    a) His vanity and obsession with his appearance
    b) His ability to see himself through Ilya’s eyes and surrender control
    c) His fear of aging
    d) His desire to hide his relationship

  2. Short answer – What does Ilya’s smoke break outside the cottage after sex represent about his emotional state in the early chapters?

  3. Multiple choice – The “long game” concept as used by Shane primarily reflects:
    a) A strategy to win more Stanley Cups
    b) A willingness to wait years for a future where they can be open about their love
    c) A plan to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer
    d) A business negotiation tactic with his agent

  4. Short answer – What does the framed outtake photo of Shane and Ilya laughing (Ilya’s Christmas gift to Shane) symbolize about their relationship?

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. Short answer – How does the novel contrast institutional homophobia (via Commissioner Crowell) with individual allyship (via Coach Wiebe)?

  2. Multiple choice – The wedding scene in Chapter Thirty-Nine uses the song “Diamonds” for the first dance. What does this choice most clearly emphasize?
    a) The financial cost of the wedding
    b) The durability and brilliance of their bond after years of secrecy
    c) Ilya’s love of pop music
    d) Shane’s preference for modern songs

  3. Short answer – In the epilogue, Ilya and Shane attend the Ottawa home opener. How does this scene show the shift from hidden relationship to publicly accepted partnership?

Answer Key

1. b) Farah Jalali – In Chapter One, they video-call Farah and Ilya announces he is bisexual, confirming their relationship.
2. A plane engine failure and fire forces an emergency landing. Convinced he will die, Ilya sends Shane emotional Instagram messages.
3. b) Cliff Marlow – At the All-Star hotel, Cliff drunkenly knocks on Ilya’s door, nearly exposing the couple.
4. The trophy room. Ilya uses a vibrating cock ring and bends Shane over a leather armchair, referencing Shane’s awards.
5. b) A FanMail video from Hayden accidentally captures their kiss through a window reflection and goes viral.
6. A statement claiming their kiss was a prank. Shane refuses and instead records the meeting (Chapter Thirty-Five).
7. b) Ottawa Centaurs – Shane signs with Ottawa so he can play alongside Ilya and stop hiding.
8. Anya – Ilya adopts the stray dog and names her Anya.
9. b) He fears losing his career and believes in the “long game” of waiting until retirement to come out.
10. Ilya realizes he may be depressed, especially after the Halloween party breakdown, and seeks professional help (Chapter Fourteen).
11. b) Crowell dismisses Troy Barrett’s activism and suggests one gay player is enough, angering Ilya.
12. Ilya chose Shane over hockey by moving to Ottawa instead of Boston.
13. a) He feels jealous but supports Troy, celebrating with him later.
14. b) His ability to see himself through Ilya’s eyes and surrender control. The dimmed lights and mirror help Shane witness his own vulnerability.
15. It reveals his lingering sadness and the secret weight he carries, a coping mechanism for the hidden relationship.
16. b) A willingness to wait years for a future where they can be open about their love. Shane states he will “play the long game” for Ilya.
17. It captures a genuine moment of joy between them, contrasting with the public rivalry they had to perform.
18. Crowell pressures the couple to lie and threatens their careers, while Wiebe privately reveals his own bisexual past and offers support, showing that change can come from within the locker room.
19. b) The durability and brilliance of their bond after years of secrecy. “Diamonds” is about something precious that lasts.
20. Shane is introduced to a cheering Ottawa crowd, wears a Centaurs jersey, and stands openly beside Ilya, ending a decade of hiding.