Fans of the hit hockey romance Heated Rivalry have a major reason to celebrate. Stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who play the secretly in-love hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, confirmed they initially signed contracts to star in three seasons of the show. This news comes as the series, which premiered in late November 2025, has become a global sensation and was swiftly renewed for a second season.
The Core Cast is Locked In
The revelation about the three-season deal came from a detailed GQ Hype profile featuring Williams and Storrie. This type of contract is a standard practice in television, providing stability for both the production and the actors by securing the core cast for multiple years from the start. It signals a strong, shared commitment to telling the ongoing story of Shane and Ilya.
“Both actors signed on for three seasons of Heated Rivalry; Crave has already greenlit season two,” wrote Mickey Rapkin for GQ Hype.
While a contract does not automatically guarantee three full seasons of production—a show must continue to be successful—the explosive popularity of Heated Rivalry makes fulfilling this commitment very likely. The series quickly became Crave’s most-watched original series in Canada and set a record as HBO Max’s top-rated live-action acquisition ever in the United States.
What Season 2 Will Explore
With the first season having concluded, anticipation is high for where the story goes next. Showrunner Jacob Tierney and the stars have started to share details. The second season will adapt Rachel Reid’s novel The Long Game, which is the direct sequel to the Heated Rivalry book.
The Long Game picks up the story ten years later, with Shane and Ilya still together but continuing to keep their relationship a secret from the public. This long-term secrecy and its emotional toll on the couple will likely form the central drama of the new season. In a playful social media video announcing season two, Williams teased the new chapters as “hotter, wetter, longer”.
Production Timeline and Fan Expectations
Fans eager for more episodes will need to exercise some patience. Jacob Tierney has indicated that season two will not follow the same release schedule as the first, which debuted in November 2025. The goal is to avoid a rushed production.
“It can’t be same time next year, because this time last year I’d written five of these, and this time this year I’ve written zero of them,” Tierney told Variety. “So it’s going to be a little bit later, but it’s still going to be soon.”
A likely premiere window for season two is early 2027. Hudson Williams mentioned that filming is tentatively expected to begin in the summer of 2026. Tierney emphasized the team’s awareness of fan enthusiasm and their desire to deliver a second season that meets the high standard set by the first.
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A Franchise with Big Ambitions
The success of Heated Rivalry has sparked talks of expanding the series into a broader franchise. Executives at Bell Media, the parent company of Canadian broadcaster Crave, have expressed interest in creating as much content in this universe as possible.
Justin Stockman, Vice President of Content Development & Programming at Bell Media, explained that discussions are ongoing about the best way to map out the future. This includes determining how many seasons can focus on Shane and Ilya’s story versus introducing new character arcs or even potential spin-off series.
“The more the better, but we want every episode to be as good as the ones that have been created so far,” Stockman stated.
The series will continue to be a Crave original production in Canada, with HBO Max remaining its streaming home for audiences in the United States and other international territories.
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