In the realm of hockey romance, exciting developments are underway with the addition of five fresh faces to Crave’s popular series, “Heated Rivalry.”
Emily Hampshire, a renowned Canadian actress recognized for her roles in “Schitt’s Creek” and “12 Monkeys,” will portray Vanessa, a character working at a sex shop. Sabrina Jalees, a Canadian comedian and actress known for her work on “Laugh Out Loud” and “Canada’s Got Talent,” will take on the role of sports agent Farah Jalali. Additionally, Priyanka, the winner of the inaugural season of “Canada’s Drag Race,” will play Tarek, an office assistant.
Joining the cast are Robert Naylor, a Canadian actor and musician famous for voicing D.W. Read in “Arthur,” as goaltender Wyatt Hayes, and Edvin Ryding, a Swedish actor recognized for his portrayal of Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals,” as rookie hockey player Luca Haas.
The casting announcement was shared on Instagram by Crave, revealing that season two of “Heated Rivalry” will continue the love story between hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov from Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series, specifically from the novel “The Long Game.”
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are set to reprise their lead roles in the TV adaptation as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. The first season of the show covered the first two books in Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.”
With the new cast additions, it is anticipated that the third novel in the series, “Tough Guy,” will also be adapted for the screen. The characters Vanessa and Tarek are connected to Fabian Salah, the romantic interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”
Furthermore, the upcoming season will integrate storylines from the fifth novel, “Role Model,” introducing Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s new team, and Harris Dover, a social media manager.
Justice Smith has been cast as Harris, and Charlie Gillespie, known for his role in “Julie and the Phantoms,” will portray Troy. The highly anticipated season two of “Heated Rivalry” is scheduled to premiere in spring 2027.
