The full ensemble for Heated Rivalry season 2 is taking shape, with a raft of returning faces now being confirmed to reprise their roles alongside leads Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams.
Deadline has reported that François Arnaud and Robbie GK are set to return as fan-favourite couple Scott and Kip, whose relationship inspired Ilya (Storrie) to join Shane (Williams) at the cottage. Sophie Nélisse also comes back as Rose, the actress who briefly dated Shane before becoming a close friend.
They are joined by Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Ilya's longtime friend Svetlana, plus Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh as Shane's parents, Yuna and David. Also returning are Callan Potter and Benjamin Roy as Shane's teammates Hayden and JJ respectively, with Kamilla Kowal back as Hayden's wife Jackie.
The returning names swell a season 2 cast that has already grown considerably. Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie were announced earlier as central newcomers Harris and Troy, playing Harris Drover and Troy Barrett. Daniel Diemer joins as Ryan and former EastEnders star Shaheen Jafargholi as Fabian, while Emily Hampshire, of Schitt's Creek, plays Vanessa.
Rounding out the new intake are Edvin Ryding as Luca, Robert Naylor as Wyatt, Sabrina Jalees as Farah and Priyanka as Tarek, several of them drawn from Rachel Reid's Game Changers novels.
Some of the earlier season 2 additions drew criticism from a section of fans, particularly over how closely the new roles matched their book descriptions. Author Rachel Reid appeared to push back on the backlash, noting on social media that fans had also doubted the original casting of Shane and Ilya before seeing the performances.
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The first season, based on Reid's novel Heated Rivalry, followed hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, bound by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic pull neither fully understood, as a secret fling between two rookies grew into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery.
Season 2 adapts Reid's sixth book, The Long Game, a direct sequel to Heated Rivalry, and incorporates elements from her fifth book, Role Model. The Long Game picks up with Shane and Ilya after 10 years together, still keeping their relationship secret; Ilya wants to go public, while Shane feels they should stay quiet to remain at the top of his game.
Created by Jacob Tierney, who also writes, directs and executive produces, the series is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media's Crave, with Mike Goldbach co-writing season 2. It streams on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US, and is available in more than 130 countries.
A specific launch date has yet to be locked in, but reporting has pointed to a spring 2027 window – watch this space!
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