Aug 17, 2026 7:30pm IST
‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2: All The Icy Cool Details, from New Cast Announcements to Release Date
The 2025 show that made professional ice hockey cool and its leads, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, hot property with the fangirls, “Heated Rivalry,” has begun gearing up for its second season. The Crave Canada show, which airs internationally on HBO Max and in India on Lionsgate Play, has commenced production. And before the official Instagram page could confirm it, this piece of news was heralded by sightings of co-actors-turned-close friends Williams and Storrie walking the streets of Toronto in early August.
In addition, a series of new cast announcements, starting with Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie, confirm not just details about Season 2 but also what fans can expect from future seasons. So, here’s everything you need to know about “Heated Rivalry” Season 2 while you wait for Jacob Tierney and crew to finish shooting what is, hopefully, yet another 10/10 season.
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What’s the story of “Heated Rivalry” Season 2?
In Season 1, Canada’s Shane Hollander and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov went from being rookies in lust to respective captains of the Montreal Metros and Boston Raiders, hiding their love. At the end of the season, Shane came out to his parents. While they weren’t ready to reveal it to the world yet, Shane and Ilya had officially become “Boyfriends” (not lovers!). Season 2 will then focus on what it's like to be in an actual, committed relationship, and how it affects them professionally and personally.
Creator Jacob Tierney has said that Season 2 will delve into a mature, “more serious territory” but has promised that it will also amp up the flirting and steamy intimacy.
Which books will “Heated Rivalry” Season 2 adapt?
The series is based on author Rachel Reid’s hockey romance book series, “Game Changers.” Season 2 will primarily adapt ‘The Long Game’, which is the sixth book in the series and the second one focusing on Shane and Ilya’s story. Main plotlines explore Shane and Ilya’s couple dynamics, Ilya’s transition to the Ottawa Centaurs an his struggles with his mental health.
Much like Season 1, which included the Scott Hunter and Kip storyline from the first book (“Game Changer”), Season 2 will also adapt portions of the fifth book, “Role Model”, with a concurrent timeline and overlapping characters. And that means a whole bunch of new characters, led by Ottawa Centaurs player Troy Barrett and the team’s social media manager, Harris Drover.
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“Heated Rivalry” Season 2 has added new cast members
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are still the leads of Season 2, but not the only lead couple. Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have officially been announced in leading roles alongside them. Gillespie plays Troy Barrett, a closeted hockey player newly traded to the Ottawa Centaurs, and Smith plays Harris Drover, Ottawa’s openly gay social media manager.
In addition, a fresh cast announcement revealed that “The Young Royals” actor Edvin Ryding will be playing Luca Haas, another Centaurs player. Haas was about to get his solo book before Rachel Reid pivoted to writing her upcoming seventh “Game Changers” book, “Unrivaled,” about Shane and Ilya. It could hint at how this universe might expand in future seasons.
Ryding stars alongside Robert Naylor (“Mile End Kicks”) as fellow Centaurs player Wyatt Hayes, Emily Hampshire (“Schitt’s Creek,“ “VisionQuest”) as Vanessa, Sabrina Jalees (“Black Mirror”) as Farah Jalali and Priyanka (“Drag Brunch Saved My Life”) as Tarek.
Returning cast members from Season 1 include Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh as Shane’s parents, Yuna and David Hollander, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Ilya’s friend, Svetlana Vetrova, Sophie Nélisse as Shane’s ex-girlfriend and now friend, Rose Landry and Callan Potter as Shane’s Metros teammate and best friend, Hayden Pike. François Arnaud, who played the New York Admirals captain, Scott Hunter, in Season 1, has also confirmed that Scott and Kip (Robbie G.K.) will have scenes in Season 2.
When will “Heated Rivalry” Season 2 release?
“Heated Rivalry” Season 2 has been confirmed to premiere in spring next year, which could be April 2027.
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