In the realm of hockey romance, excitement is brewing once more as Crave’s “Heated Rivalry” welcomes five new additions to its ensemble cast.
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 known for her work on “Laugh Out Loud” and “Canada’s Got Talent,” will take on the character of sports agent Farah Jalali. Additionally, Priyanka, the winner of the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race,” will play Tarek, an office assistant.
Joining the lineup are Robert Naylor, a Canadian actor and musician recognized for voicing D.W. Read in “Arthur,” as goaltender Wyatt Hayes, and Edvin Ryding, a Swedish actor who starred as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals,” as rookie hockey player Luca Haas.
The casting announcement, unveiled on Instagram, confirmed that season two of “Heated Rivalry” will follow the evolving relationship between hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series.
The TV adaptation will see Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie reprise their leading roles as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, respectively.
The first season of the show adapted the initial two books in Reid’s series. Now, with the recent casting reveal, it is anticipated that the third novel, “Tough Guy,” will also be brought to the screen, integrating characters linked to the love interest of hockey player Ryan Price.
Furthermore, the upcoming season is set to include storylines from the fifth novel, “Role Model,” involving characters Troy Barrett and Harris Dover. Justice Smith has been cast as Harris, while Charlie Gillespie from “Julie and the Phantoms” will portray Troy.
Fans can look forward to the premiere of season two of “Heated Rivalry” in the spring of 2027.