In the realm of hockey romance, exciting developments are underway once again. Crave’s series, “Heated Rivalry,” will feature five fresh faces in its upcoming season. Canadian actress Emily Hampshire will take on the role of Vanessa, a sex shop employee, while Canadian comedian and actress Sabrina Jalees will portray sports agent Farah Jalali, and drag queen Priyanka will star as Tarek, an office assistant.
Emily Hampshire is renowned 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 emerged victorious in the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race.”
Joining the ensemble are Canadian actor and musician Robert Naylor as goaltender Wyatt Hayes and Swedish actor Edvin Ryding as rookie hockey player Luca Haas. Robert Naylor is recognized for voicing D.W. Read in the animated series “Arthur,” while Edvin Ryding starred as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals.”
The casting announcement was shared on Instagram on Thursday. Season two of “Heated Rivalry” will continue to explore the journey of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, former hockey rivals turned lovers, based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series, particularly the sixth novel, “The Long Game.” The series consists of hockey romance novels interconnected through overlapping character narratives.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their lead roles in the TV adaptation. Season one of the show encompassed the adaptation of 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 be brought to life on screen. Characters Vanessa and Tarek are associates of Fabian Salah, the love 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.” Crave announced that Justice Smith was cast as Harris and Charlie Gillespie, known for “Julie and the Phantoms,” will play Troy. The premiere of season two of “Heated Rivalry” is set for spring 2027.