The hockey romance series Heated Rivalry is getting ready for its second season, and the cast list keeps growing. Production started in August 2026, and the show is scheduled to return in spring 2027 on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States.
The first season, which came out in November 2025, followed the secret relationship between two professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. It became a big hit with audiences. Now, season 2 will bring back many familiar faces while also adding several new ones to the story.
Returning Cast Members
The two lead actors are back. Hudson Williams returns as Shane Hollander, the closeted hockey golden boy. Connor Storrie is back as Ilya Rozanov, the bisexual Russian hockey star.
Several other actors from season 1 have also been confirmed to return:
- François Arnaud and Robbie G.K. will return as Scott Hunter and Kip Grady. They play the fan-favorite couple who inspired Ilya to join Shane at the cottage.
- Sophie Nélisse returns as Rose, the actress who briefly dated Shane before becoming his close friend.
- Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova is back as Svetlana, Ilya’s longtime friend.
- Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh will reprise their roles as Shane’s parents, Yuna and David Hollander.
- Callan Potter returns as Hayden, Shane’s best friend and teammate.
- Benjamin Roy is back as JJ, another teammate of Shane.
- Kamilla Kowal returns as Jackie, Hayden’s wife.
“There’s definitely more of Scott and Kip” in the second season, François Arnaud told WWD before the official confirmation.
One name missing from the returning list is Nadine Bhabha, who played a role in season 1. Her character will not be coming back for the new season.
New Cast Additions
Season 2 is bringing in a large group of new actors. Some were announced earlier, while others were confirmed more recently.
The earlier additions include:
- Justice Smith as Harris Drover, the social media manager for the Ottawa Centaurs.
- Charlie Gillespie as Troy Barrett, a hockey player who joins the Ottawa Centaurs.
Then came five more new cast members:
- Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek) as Vanessa.
- Edvin Ryding (Young Royals) as Luca Haas, an Ottawa player.
- Robert Naylor as Wyatt Hayes, an Ottawa goalie.
- Sabrina Jalees as Farah, a sports agent for Shane and Ilya.
- Priyanka (Canadian singer and actor) as Tarek, a friend of Fabian.
Two more actors were also added to the cast:
- Daniel Diemer as Ryan Price, an enforcer.
- Shaheen Jafargholi as Fabian Salah, a musician.
The new season will bring many of these characters from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels to the screen.
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What to Expect in Season 2
Season 2 will mainly adapt The Long Game, the sixth book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. The story will also pull elements from Role Model, the fifth book.
The Long Game picks up with Shane and Ilya after they have secretly kept their relationship going for 10 years. Ilya wants to make their relationship public, but Shane worries about how that could affect their hockey careers. The new season will show them dealing with these challenges while also managing their professional lives.
Jacob Tierney, who created the series, returns as writer, director, and executive producer. Mike Goldbach joins as co-writer for the second season.
Filming began in August 2026 in and around Toronto, Canada. The production team asked fans to give the cast and crew space at filming locations. The show is aiming for a spring 2027 release, with reports pointing to an April 2027 premiere.
The first season of Heated Rivalry earned strong reviews, with a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show streams on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US, and is available in more than 130 countries.
Also Read: Heated Rivalry Season 2 Filming Begins: New Cast Members Join Shane and Ilya’s Story
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