Things are getting exciting once again in the world of hockey romance as five new additions have been announced for Crave’s popular series, “Heated Rivalry.” Canadian actress Emily Hampshire is set to portray Vanessa, a sex shop employee, while Canadian comedian and actress Sabrina Jalees will take on the role of sports agent Farah Jalali. Additionally, drag queen Priyanka will play Tarek, an office assistant.
Hampshire is widely recognized for her performances in the sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” and the TV series “12 Monkeys.” Jalees, on the other hand, is known for her previous work as the host of the radio and web show “Laugh Out Loud” and as a writer for “Canada’s Got Talent.” Priyanka gained fame by winning the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race.”
Joining the cast are Canadian actor and musician Robert Naylor as goaltender Wyatt Hayes and Swedish actor Edvin Ryding as rookie hockey player Luca Haas. Naylor is famous for voicing D.W. Read in the animated series “Arthur,” while Ryding starred as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals.”
The announcement of the new cast members was shared on Instagram by Crave. Season two of “Heated Rivalry” will continue to follow the love story of hockey rivals turned lovers, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, based on the sixth novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series, “The Long Game.” The Game Changer series comprises hockey romance novels set in the same universe with interconnected character narratives.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their leading roles in the TV adaptation. Season one of the show adapted the first two books of Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.” With the new casting, it is anticipated that the third novel in the series, “Tough Guy,” will also be adapted, as Vanessa and Tarek are friends of Fabian Salah, the love interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”
The upcoming season will also 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, star of “Julie and the Phantoms,” as Troy. The second season of “Heated Rivalry” is scheduled to premiere in the spring of 2027.