Heated Rivalry Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

Lovers of hockey and hotties rejoice: production on "Heated Rivalry" Season 2 is officially underway. Series stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have even been spotted walking the streets of Canada as they prepare to slip back into Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander's smutty little skates.

Given that the first season of "Heated Rivalry," which TVLine named one of the best shows of 2025, was nothing short of an international phenomenon, there's an understandable amount of excitement that has built around the release of Season 2. To that end, the show has already issued a statement to eager fans who might be planning on staking out the production.

"To our incredible fans and everyone who's been sharing in the excitement for the show: Your support, enthusiasm, and kindness have meant the world to us," the statement reads. "As we gear up for more 'Heated Rivalry,' please help us in making it the best it can be. If you happen to come across one of our filming locations, please give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they do best. We promise it'll be worth the wait."

For the tragically uninitiated, "Heated Rivalry" is an adaptation of Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" books, which chronicle various queer romances within the world of professional hockey. The show's main couple, Shane and Ilya, eventually came out privately to Shane's parents in the first season finale, leading non-book readers to wonder what will happen next (while familiar book readers eagerly anticipate how their favorite moments will be adapted on screen).

Read on for a breakdown of everything we know about "Heated Rivalry" Season 2 so far, including which of Reid's books it will include, which new characters we should expect to meet, and what's in store for some of our returning favorites.

The first season of the Canadian hockey drama was largely based on "Heated Rivalry," the second book in Rachel Reid's series, with elements of debut installment "Game Changer" sprinkled throughout. ("Game Changer" follows Scott and Kip's journey, while Scott and Ilya aren't even introduced until "Heated Rivalry.") 

Because the show largely revolves around Shane and Ilya, Season 2 of "Heated Rivalry" will jump ahead to Reid's sixth book, "The Long Game," which shifts the spotlight back to their relationship. Season 2 will also include "parts" of "Role Model," the fifth entry in the "Game Changers" series, which showrunner Jacob Tierney confirmed during an appearance at BookCon in April.

"Part of the reason you start off with 'Heated Rivalry,' as far as adapting goes, is because you want to get to 'The Long Game' ... because 'The Long Game' is an emotionally sophisticated book that takes this couple seriously," Tierney said. "What I've always said about this show is there are a lot of books — 'Game Changer' is in 'Heated Rivalry,' and as I think you guys all know by now, obviously parts of 'Role Model' are going to be in [Season 2] — but Ilya and Shane are the heartbeat of this series, of my show. It's always going to be about Ilya and Shane."

"Heated Rivalry" fans have been fiending for more episodes ever since the first season finale dropped in December 2025, but they'll have to learn to be patient if they hope to keep what remains of their sanity. According to showrunner Jacob Tierney, who made the announcement alongside Gayle King on "CBS Mornings," Season 2 of "Heated Rivalry" is expected to premiere in spring 2027 (possibly April).

As with Season 1, "Heated Rivalry" will continue to air on Crave in Canada while streaming stateside on HBO Max.

As it's being adapted from "The Long Game," it's no secret that we'll be seeing more of Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) in "Heated Rivalry" Season 2. Actually, make that a lot more. During the aforementioned panel at BookCon, showrunner Jacob Tierney joked that he thinks of "The Long Game" as "Sex Scenes From a Marriage." 

Referring to a specific upcoming fight between Shane and Ilya, Tierney said Season 2 will ask the question: "What do you do after the rush of danger is gone and now you have to live in a relationship where you still aren't communicating properly, much as you would like to? You can say you love each other, but as adults know, there's so much more to making a relationship a success."

We can also expect to be reunited with Scott Hunter (Francois Arnaud) and Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.), the newly outed lovebirds of Season 1, as well as Scott's parents — Yuna Hollander (Christina Chang) and David Hollander (Dylan Walsh) — to whom he and Ilya also came out as a couple in the finale.

Other important Season 1 characters likely to return for Season 2 in some capacity include: Ilya's longtime friend Svetlana Vetrova (Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova), Shane's pal Hayden Pike (Callan Potter), Shane's teammate J.J. Boiziau (Benjamin Roy), Scott's best friend Carter Vaughn (Kolton Stewart), Ilya's troublemaking brother Alexei (Slavic Rogozine), and Shane's former beard Rose Landry (Sophie Nélisse), among many others.

No official announcements about returning cast members have been released as of yet.

Since "Heated Rivalry" Season 2 will incorporate elements of both "The Long Game" and "Role Model," there are several key characters from Rachel Reid's book series that are likely to be making their on-screen debut in 2027. First and foremost, "Role Model" follows another secret romantic journey on and off the ice, this time between Harris Drover, the social media manager for the Ottawa Centaurs, and Troy Barrett, a recent addition to the Centaurs' roster who struggles with toxic masculinity — among other sources of drama for the couple. 

Other important "Role Models" and "The Long Game" characters potentially being introduced in "Heated Rivalry" Season 2 include: Adrian Dela Cruz, Troy's movie star ex-boyfriend; Dallas Kent, the extremely homophobic star center for the Toronto Guardians; Brandon Wiebe, the bisexual rookie head coach of the Centaurs; Luca Haas, a younger player on the Centaurs with a special interest in Ilya; and Wyatt Hayes, the Centaurs' slightly nerdy (and queer-friendly) goaltender.

Many fans also wonder if "Heated Rivalry" Season 2 will finally introduce Ryan Price, an out gay hockey fixture from the books who was only briefly mentioned by Shane and Ilya in the show's first season.

The first piece of unconfirmed casting news for "Heated Rivalry" Season 2 came courtesy of Hollywood's own Gossip Girl, Deuxmoi, which claimed on July 29 that Justice Smith had been cast in the role of Harris Drover. Originally the social media manager for the Ottawa Centaurs, Harris is introduced in "Role Model," the fifth book in Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" series, and later returns for "The Long Game," the sixth installment. His storyline (which we won't completely spoil for non-book readers), largely revolves around his secret romance with Troy Barrett, a bad boy hockey star who is traded to the Centaurs from the Toronto Guardians. It's not yet known who will play Troy.

Based on the comments to Deuxmoi's casting "scoop," this rumor of Smith's casting is being met with mixed responses. With no disrespect to Smith — who has more than proven himself on TV shows like Netflix's "The Get Down" and HBO Max's "Generation," as well as movies like "Detective Pikachu" and "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" — many fans have pointed out that Reid's description of Harris in the books doesn't quite match Smith, as Harris is said to be "stocky." Some fans feel that it's important to retain the character's size inclusivity, while others are choosing to trust the casting process (if the rumor even turns out to be true).

After "Heated Rivalry" fans started an online movement to get Jack Innane ("Adults") cast as either Troy Barrett or Wyatt Hayes in Season 2, the actor revealed in April that he had some "conversations" with the show's team, adding only that they've "chatted" about a potential role.

Unfortunately, that fan-casting is not to be. Entertainment Weekly reports that Innane was indeed offered a part in "Heated Rivalry" Season 2, but he ultimately had to turn it down due to production schedule conflicts.

Generally speaking, fans can expect "Heated Rivalry" Season 2 to be "more serious" than Season 1 — not that the show hasn't thrown some heavy subject matter at its characters thus far.

"It's different, it really is different," showrunner Jacob Tierney explained at BookCon while comparing the "Heated Rivalry" and "Long Game" books. "And the challenge of it is, from an adaptation point of view, is that you're in much more serious territory."

Whereas much of Shane and Ilya's romance in Season 1 involved sneaking off to hotel rooms for their clandestine trysts, Tierney said that "this kind of hotel-room-adolescent-sex stuff is largely gone" in Season 2, which presents "new challenges" for the couple.

(Don't worry, Tierney promised that "there's still lots of flirting and lots of sex" in Season 2. That part isn't going anywhere.)

What are you most excited to see in "Heated Rivalry" Season 2? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the show's 2027 return below.