In the realm of hockey romance, exciting developments are unfolding once more as Crave introduces five fresh additions to the “Heated Rivalry” series. Notable Canadian figures like actress Emily Hampshire, comedian Sabrina Jalees, and drag queen Priyanka are set to join the cast.
Emily Hampshire, renowned for her roles in “Schitt’s Creek” and “12 Monkeys,” will portray Vanessa, a character working in a sex shop. Sabrina Jalees, a former host of “Laugh Out Loud” and a writer for “Canada’s Got Talent,” will embody the role of sports agent Farah Jalali. Priyanka, the winner of the inaugural season of “Canada’s Drag Race,” will take on the character of Tarek, an office assistant.
Additionally, Canadian actor and musician Robert Naylor will be seen as goaltender Wyatt Hayes, while Swedish actor Edvin Ryding will play rookie hockey player Luca Haas. Naylor is recognized for voicing D.W. Read in the animated series “Arthur,” and Ryding is known for his portrayal of Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals.”
The casting announcement was recently made on Instagram, confirming that the forthcoming season of “Heated Rivalry” will follow the story of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, former hockey rivals turned lovers, from Rachel Reid’s sixth novel, “The Long Game,” part of the Game Changer series. The series, which focuses on hockey romance, features interconnected character storylines.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their lead roles in the TV adaptation of the series. The first season of the show covered the adaptation of the initial 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 screen. Characters Vanessa and Tarek from the new cast are friends 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 of the series, “Role Model.”
Justice Smith has been cast as Harris and Charlie Gillespie, known for his role in “Julie and the Phantoms,” as Troy. Fans can expect the premiere of the second season of “Heated Rivalry” in the spring of 2027.