Heated Rivalry season two is officially in production, with cameras rolling just days after producers unveiled a wave of new casting for the queer hockey drama.
Cameras Roll on Season Two
The production account Heated Rivalry HQ shared the news simply: "Day 1." Creator Jacob Tierney couldn't contain himself in the comments, and Crave, the show's Canadian home, added its own excitement. Several cast members chimed in too, including Connors, whose season one character Sasha's future on the show remains genuinely uncertain.
New Faces, New Storylines
The freshest wave of castings landed just before filming began. Edvin Rydings, known for Young Royals, will play young hockey player Luca Haas, while Robert Naylor, the voice of DW on Arthur, takes on Wyatt Hayes. Schitt's Creek's Emily Hampshire joins as Vanessa, and Canada's Drag Race champion Priyanka steps into the role of Tarek, both minor characters pulled from Reid's third novel, Tough Guy, hinting at where later seasons might head. Black Mirror's Sabrina Jalees rounds out the announcements as Farah Jalali, a sports agent representing both Shane and Ilya. That follows earlier news that Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie will play Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, a social media manager and a closeted hockey star navigating an unlikely romance.
Wheeeeee.
Jacob Tierney, creator
Where the Story Is Headed
Season two is built primarily around The Long Game, the sixth of Reid's seven published Game Changers novels, following Shane and Ilya as they try to build a life together while keeping their relationship hidden. Tierney is also weaving in threads from Role Model, a companion novel set during the same timeframe. With Hampshire and Priyanka's characters pulled from a different book entirely, the show is clearly setting up to adapt across the whole series, not just one installment at a time.
Our Read
What's striking here isn't just the casting news, it's the confidence behind it. Reid's eighth novel, Unrivaled, is due in 2027 and picks up after Shane and Ilya's wedding, once they're finally public about a relationship built on a decade of rivalry. Season two isn't even out yet, and the production is already positioning itself for a long run. For a genre that rarely gets this kind of sustained investment, that's worth celebrating. Heated Rivalry became a genuine breakout for HBO Max and Crave after its November 2025 debut, and this early momentum suggests the people behind it believe the audience is only growing.
Poster via The Movie Database (TMDB)
