In the world of hockey romance, exciting developments are occurring once again. Crave’s series, “Heated Rivalry,” is welcoming five new additions to its cast.
Emily Hampshire, a well-known Canadian actress, will portray Vanessa, a character working in a sex shop. Sabrina Jalees, a Canadian comedian and actress, will take on the role of sports agent Farah Jalali, while drag queen Priyanka will play Tarek, an office assistant.
Hampshire is recognized for her performances in “Schitt’s Creek” and “12 Monkeys,” while Jalees has previously hosted the radio and web show “Laugh Out Loud” and written for “Canada’s Got Talent.” Priyanka achieved fame by winning the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race.”
Joining the cast are Robert Naylor, a Canadian actor and musician, who will play goaltender Wyatt Hayes, and Edvin Ryding, a Swedish actor, portraying rookie hockey player Luca Haas.
Naylor is notable for voicing D.W. Read in the animated series “Arthur,” and Ryding starred as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals.”
The new cast announcement was shared on Instagram by Crave, revealing that season two of “Heated Rivalry” will continue the love story of hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov from Rachel Reid’s “Game Changer” series, specifically the sixth novel, “The Long Game.”
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their lead roles in the television adaptation. Season one of the show covered the first two books in Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.”
With the latest casting news, 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 romantic interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”
Furthermore, the upcoming season will incorporate the stories 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 play Troy, as announced by Crave on August 7.
Fans can expect season two of “Heated Rivalry” to premiere in spring 2027.
