InFrame

'Heated Rivalry' Creator Confirms Season 2 Will Focus on Emotion, With Filming Underway

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 05: Jacob Tierney poses in the IMDb portrait studio at the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 05, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo Credit: Vivien Killilea

by Chris Tremblay  Aug 21

Season 2 of Heated Rivalry has begun filming and is scheduled to premiere in spring 2027 on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States.

The update comes as creator Jacob Tierney has offered a clearer account of the creative direction for the new season, saying the queer hockey romance will emphasize emotional impact and sensuality rather than relying primarily on surprise twists.

“This show is not built on secrets,” Tierney told The Hollywood Reporter, according to The PinkNews. “It’s built on feelings and sensation.”

Tierney also said that viewers seeking plot information can consult Rachel Reid’s source material, because much of the upcoming story is already available in the books that inspire the series.

“What’s so funny about the level of secrecy is like there’s a book – you can just look at it,” Tierney said. “It’ll tell you honestly, 90 percent of what you’d like to know is in that book.”

The story remains centered on Shane and Ilya



The first season introduced professional hockey players Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie, whose rivalry develops into a secret romantic relationship.

The second season will continue following Shane and Ilya, while incorporating storylines connected to other characters from Reid’s Game Changers novels.

The principal source for the season is expected to be The Long Game, Reid’s direct sequel to Heated Rivalry.

The season is also expected to draw from Role Model, another novel in Reid’s series, which provides the background for the characters Troy Barrett and Harris Drover.

The production’s use of multiple books gives the new season a broader narrative framework while keeping Shane and Ilya’s relationship at its center.

New characters expand the ensemble



Justice Smith has been cast as Harris Drover, described by CBC News as the social media manager for the Ottawa Centaurs.

Charlie Gillespie will play Troy Barrett, a forward for the Ottawa Centaurs.

Crave confirmed the casting of Smith and Gillespie as the second season’s ensemble began to expand.

Five more performers have also joined the season: Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka.

Variety reported that Hampshire will play Vanessa, Ryding will play Luca Haas, Naylor will play Wyatt Hayes, Jalees will play Farah Jalali and Priyanka will play Tarek.

The new performers will appear alongside returning leads Williams and Storrie, as well as Smith and Gillespie.

Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said the casting process sought performers who could bring emotional depth to the new characters.

“Justice and Charlie do exactly that,” Tierney and Brady said in a statement carried by CBC News.

The producers said Smith and Gillespie connected with “the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters.”

Tierney is co-writing the season



Tierney is returning as writer, director and executive producer for Season 2.

Mike Goldbach is serving as co-writer on the new season.

Tierney told *The PinkNews* that Goldbach had been “so amazingly helpful” during the writing process.

“We’re very happy with where we’re at with the scripts,” Tierney said, adding that the team was “really happy with this cast.”

The production is commissioned by Bell Media’s Crave with the participation of the Canada Media Fund.

Brendan Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson are executive producers, while Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje are producers and Reid is consulting producer.

Why the confirmation matters



The latest information resolves several major questions about the follow-up to the series’ first season.

Production is no longer only planned; filming is underway, and the distributors have maintained a spring 2027 release window.

The creative team has also made clear that the season will not depend on withholding information from viewers who know the novels.

Instead, Tierney’s comments place the emphasis on how familiar events, relationships and conflicts will be presented on screen.

That approach is consistent with the series’ established focus on a romantic relationship between two men navigating professional sport, public expectations and personal identity.

For viewers who prefer to avoid spoilers, the production has not released a complete episode-by-episode plot summary.

What has been confirmed is a continuing story for Shane and Ilya, a larger ensemble, a new co-writer, active filming and a spring 2027 launch on Crave and HBO Max.

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