The world of hockey romance is abuzz with excitement once again as Crave’s “Heated Rivalry” welcomes five new cast members. Emily Hampshire, a Canadian actress renowned for her roles in “Schitt’s Creek” and “12 Monkeys,” will portray Vanessa, a sex shop employee. Sabrina Jalees, a Canadian comedian and actress, takes on the role of sports agent Farah Jalali, while drag queen Priyanka joins as Tarek, an office assistant and the winner of the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race.”
Additionally, the cast includes Robert Naylor, a Canadian actor and musician known for voicing D.W. Read in “Arthur,” as goaltender Wyatt Hayes, and Swedish actor Edvin Ryding, recognized for his role as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals,” as rookie hockey player Luca Haas.
The announcement of the new cast members was shared on Instagram by Crave. The upcoming season of “Heated Rivalry” will continue to follow the love story of hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, based on Rachel Reid’s sixth novel, “The Long Game,” from the Game Changer series. The Game Changer novels are interconnected stories set in the same universe.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are set to reprise their lead roles in the TV adaptation as well. Season one of the show adapted the first two books of Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.”
With the new casting announcement, it is anticipated that the third novel in the series, “Tough Guy,” will also be adapted. Vanessa and Tarek are friends of Fabian Salah, the love interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”
Furthermore, the upcoming season will incorporate the narratives of Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s new team, and Harris Dover, a social media manager, from the fifth novel, “Role Model.” Justice Smith has been cast as Harris, and Charlie Gillespie from “Julie and the Phantoms” will portray Troy.
“Heated Rivalry” season 2 is scheduled to premiere in spring 2027.