In the realm of hockey romance, exciting developments are underway as Crave’s “Heated Rivalry” welcomes five new members to its cast. Emily Hampshire, a notable Canadian actress, will portray Vanessa, a character working in a sex shop. Joining her are Sabrina Jalees, a Canadian comedian and actress taking on the role of sports agent Farah Jalali, and Priyanka, a drag queen playing the character Tarek, an office assistant.
Hampshire is recognized for her performances in the sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” and the TV series “12 Monkeys.” Jalees, on the other hand, was previously known for hosting the radio and web show “Laugh Out Loud” and writing for “Canada’s Got Talent.” Priyanka gained fame by winning the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race.”
Additional cast members revealed include Robert Naylor, a Canadian actor and musician, as goaltender Wyatt Hayes, and Edvin Ryding, a Swedish actor, as rookie hockey player Luca Haas. Naylor is renowned 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 was made via Instagram on a Thursday. Crave has confirmed that season two of “Heated Rivalry” will continue to follow the evolving relationship between hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, derived from the sixth novel of Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series, “The Long Game.” The Game Changers series comprises hockey romance novels interconnected by character storylines.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are set to reprise their lead roles in the TV adaptation. The first season of the show adapted the initial two books of Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.”
With the introduction of the new cast, it is anticipated that the third novel in the series, “Tough Guy,” will also be brought to the screen. Characters Vanessa and Tarek are associated with Fabian Salah, the love interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”
Moreover, the upcoming season will incorporate the narratives of Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s team, and Harris Dover, a social media manager, from the fifth novel of the series, “Role Model.”
Crave recently revealed that Justice Smith will portray Harris and Charlie Gillespie, known for “Julie and the Phantoms,” will take on the role of Troy. The much-anticipated season two of “Heated Rivalry” is scheduled to premiere in spring 2027.