In the realm of hockey romance, the excitement is building once more as Crave’s “Heated Rivalry” welcomes five fresh talents to its ensemble. Notable Canadian actress Emily Hampshire will portray Vanessa, a character working in a sex shop, while Canadian comedian and actress Sabrina Jalees will take on the role of sports agent Farah Jalali. Additionally, drag queen Priyanka will embody Tarek, an office assistant.
Emily Hampshire is recognized for her performances in the sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” and the TV series “12 Monkeys.” Sabrina Jalees previously hosted the radio and web show “Laugh Out Loud” and wrote for “Canada’s Got Talent.” Priyanka clinched victory in the inaugural season of “Canada’s Drag Race.”
Joining the lineup are Canadian actor and musician Robert Naylor as goaltender Wyatt Hayes and Swedish actor Edvin Ryding as rookie hockey player Luca Haas. Naylor is famed for lending his voice to D.W. Read in the animated series “Arthur,” while Ryding portrayed Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals.”
The casting update was shared on Instagram by Crave, confirming that season two of “Heated Rivalry” will follow the evolving relationship between hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, drawing from the sixth novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series, “The Long Game.” The Game Changers series comprises hockey romance novels interconnected through character narratives.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are set to reprise their lead roles in the TV adaptation. Season one of the show adapted the first two books in Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.”
With the latest casting reveal, it is anticipated that the third novel in the series, “Tough Guy,” will also be brought to the screen. Vanessa and Tarek are associated with Fabian Salah, the love interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”
The upcoming season will further weave in 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, known from “Julie and the Phantoms,” will portray Troy. Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry” is scheduled to debut in the spring of 2027.