“Heated Rivalry” has added five more actors to the cast of Season 2, with Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka all joining the Crave original series.
They join previously announced Season 2 new additions Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie, while Season 1 famously starred Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, Robbie G.K. and François Arnaud, among others.
Hampshire will play Vanessa and has previously appeared in “Schitt’s Creek” as well as Marvel’s “VisionQuest.” Ryding will play Luca Haas and has appeared in “The Young Royals” and “28 Years Later.” Naylor will play Wyatt Hayes and has starred in “Mile End Kicks” and “Cardinal.” Sabrina Jalees will play Farah Jalali and is known for her work in “I Used to Be Funny” and “Black Mirror.” Finally, Priyanka, who currently serves as a judge on “Canada’s Drag Race All Stars” after winning the show’s first season, will play Tarek.
“Heated Rivalry” is a Crave Original from creator Jacob Tierney. Season 2 will premiere on HBO Max in Spring 2027 in several major countries and territories, including the United States, Australia, Europe (excluding the U.K., Ireland, Spain, and Turkey), Latin America and Asia (Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Nepal and Sri Lanka). The series is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media’s Crave and is based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling “Game Changers” book series.
Season 1 followed the story of rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie). What starts as a secret fling between two rookies evolves into a multi-year journey of love, denial and self-discovery. The romance drama became a massive hit at the end of last year, averaging 10.6 million viewers per episode in the U.S. It also won a Peabody and GLAAD Award, with Storrie going on to receive a Primetime Emmy nomination for his time spent hosting “Saturday Night Live.”
“Heated Rivalry” is commissioned by Bell Media’s Crave with the participation of the Canada Media Fund. Tierney is writer, director and executive produce. Brendan Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as EPs with Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje serving as producers. Rachel Reid is a consulting producer. Mike Goldbach serves as co-writer on Season 2. The hockey drama is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus, a Bell Media company.
