In the realm of hockey romance, exciting developments are underway as Crave introduces five fresh faces to the upcoming season of “Heated Rivalry.” Emily Hampshire, a renowned Canadian actress known for her roles in “Schitt’s Creek” and “12 Monkeys,” will take on the role of Vanessa, a sex shop employee. Joining her are Sabrina Jalees, a Canadian comedian and actress portraying sports agent Farah Jalali, and Priyanka, winner of the debut season of “Canada’s Drag Race,” as Tarek, an office assistant.
The cast additions also include 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 known for his role as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals,” as rookie hockey player Luca Haas.
The announcement of these new cast members was made on Instagram by Crave, revealing that the upcoming season of “Heated Rivalry” will continue to follow the love story between hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov from Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are set to reprise their lead roles in the series adaptation. Season one covered the first two novels of Reid’s series, and with this latest casting update, it is anticipated that the third book, “Tough Guy,” will also be brought to the screen. Vanessa and Tarek are associated with Fabian Salah, the romantic interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”
Additionally, the upcoming season will incorporate the narratives of Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s new team, and Harris Dover, a social media manager, from the fifth book in the series, “Role Model.” Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have been announced as part of the cast for these roles.
Fans can look forward to the premiere of season two of “Heated Rivalry” in the spring of 2027, promising more drama and romance in the world of hockey.