Heated Rivalry has been renewed for a second season. This follows the huge success of its first season. The show has become a cultural talking point. The first six episodes made it the top original series debut for the Crave streaming service. Viewership grew by almost 400 percent after its first week. With Season 2 confirmed, discussion has turned to which characters will get more focus. Fans and book readers are pointing to one quiet hockey player: Ryan Price.
The series brings author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers books to television. It follows professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. They are public rivals but secret lovers. Season 1 adapted parts of the first two books. Season 2 is expected to continue their story. It will likely use material from the sixth book, The Long Game. However, the show has already shown it will expand beyond one couple. A full episode in Season 1 was devoted to the romance between Scott Hunter and Kip Grady. This sets a pattern. Fans now want to see another couple from the books: the gentle giant Ryan Price and his musician boyfriend, Fabian Salah.
A Small Scene in Season 1 Hints at Ryan’s Potential
Ryan Price is not a main character in Season 1. However, he appears in a small but meaningful scene. In Episode 4, titled “Rose,” Shane and Ilya are talking on a couch. They eat tuna melts and watch a hockey game. They start discussing Ryan, a player they both know from the league. Ilya mentions that Ryan gets traded to a new team every season. He then reveals something surprising about Ryan’s personality.
“He’s actually really quiet,” Ilya says of Ryan. “Making friends has always been hard for him.”
This conversation is directly from Rachel Reid’s novels. In the books, it refers back to an earlier moment. Ilya and Ryan bonded during a frightening plane flight. Ryan has severe anxiety. He panicked when the plane hit bad turbulence. Ilya, as team captain, helped calm him down. This moment showed Ilya’s caring side. It also gave insight into Ryan’s character. The scene was not included in the TV show. But the mention of Ryan in Episode 4 works as setup. It plants a seed for his story to be explored later.
Why Ryan Price’s Story Would Be a Fresh Direction
Ryan Price’s romance is told in the third Game Changers book, Tough Guy, published in 2020. His story offers a different kind of love story compared to Shane and Ilya’s.
- A Different Dynamic: Shane and Ilya’s relationship grows from a secret, years-long affair. They must hide their feelings because of their sports careers. Ryan’s story with Fabian is more open from the start. It focuses on two opposites who are drawn together.
- A Relatable Character: Ryan is described as a “gentle giant” who deals with serious anxiety. He is a good player but lacks the fiery, all-consuming passion for hockey that Shane and Ilya have. He often wishes to fade into the background. Many readers find his internal struggles with self-doubt and anxiety very relatable.
- A Sweeter Romance: Many fans of the book series consider the relationship between Ryan and Fabian one of the sweetest that Rachel Reid has written. Fabian is a confident, outgoing musician. He helps draw out new sides of Ryan’s personality. Their story would provide a new emotional tone for the series.
Bringing Ryan’s romance to television would follow the successful pattern set in Season 1. Just as Scott and Kip’s episode made the show’s world feel richer, a storyline for Ryan would do the same. It would show a different facet of queer life and relationships.
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What We Know About Season 2’s Release and Cast
Crave officially announced the Season 2 renewal on December 12, 2025. The US streaming partner HBO Max will return for the second season. The show has also secured international distribution deals for Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
While no official release date is set, the production schedule for Season 1 provides a clue. Filming began in April 2025, and the season premiered in November 2025. If Season 2 follows a similar seven-month timeline, viewers could expect new episodes by late 2026.
The main cast is expected to return. This includes Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov. François Arnaud (Scott Hunter) and Robbie G.K. (Kip Grady) will also likely be back. Casting for new characters like Ryan Price and Fabian Salah has not been announced.
The show has already introduced one character from a later book. Matthew Finlan appears as Kyle Swift, the bartender friend of Kip Grady. Kyle is a main character in the fourth book, Common Goal. His appearance suggests the show plans to continue weaving multiple book storylines together in Season 2.
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