Everything We Know About Heated Rivalry Season 2 (2026 Sep)

Last updated: Aug 08, 2026

‍

Season 1 of Heated Rivalry ended, and now we wait. If you're anything like us, you've already rewatched it countless times and are desperately searching for any news of Heated Rivalry season 2 to keep you going.

‍

Consider this your one-stop hub for everything we know about Heated Rivalry season 2: Confirmed details, reliable rumours, and a few educated guesses based on the source material. I'll keep this page up-to-date as new information comes, so bookmark it and check back.

‍

Big news since the last update: Ryan Price and Fabian Salah are cast (Daniel Diemer and Shaheen Jafargholi). They join Troy, Harris, Luca, Wyatt, Farah, Vanessa and Tarek in the season 2 lineup.

‍

Note: This article contains some spoilers. It mentions character names and relationships from Tough Guy (book 3), Role Model (book 5) and The Long Game (book 6). I've kept plot details to a minimum, but if you want to go in completely fresh, bookmark this and come back after you've read them.

‍

‍

Season 2 Production & Release Date

Jacob Tierney is going to be back as the director and writer for Heated Rivalry season 2. He'll be joined again by executive producer Brendan Brady. One change from season 1: Jacob is bringing in a co-writer this time, but he's still directing every single episode himself.

‍

When asked about the timeline, Jacob's response was characteristically no-nonsense: "as soon as humanly possible." Brendan, meanwhile, told fans to "enjoy the yearn".

‍

Here's a quick rundown of what we know so far:

• Season 2 is filming now. Production began in Toronto in early August 2026. Connor and Hudson have both been spotted around the city.
• Reported shooting schedule: 10 August to 2 December 2026, across Toronto soundstages, Montreal and Ottawa. Worth flagging that this comes from a single smaller outlet rather than a trade, so treat the wrap date as unconfirmed. The start date is pretty solid.
• Release date is aimed for Spring 2027. It's rumoured to be released around April 2027, but that is not confirmed. Gayle King said April on CBS Mornings, but the date was walked back hours later, and a Crave rep would only confirm "spring" when asked directly. It's also still unknown whether Crave and HBO Max will drop it simultaneously.
• Charlie Gillespie is Troy Barrett and Justice Smith is Harris Drover, announced 7 August. They join Hudson and Connor in leading roles.
• Additional cast announcement includes Luca Haas (Edvin Ryding), Wyatt Hayes (Robert Naylor), Farah Jalali (Sabrina Jalees), Vanessa (Emily Hampshire) and Tarek (Priyanka).
• Daniel Diemer is Ryan Price and Shaheen Jafargholi is Fabian Salah, announced 25 August. This confirms Tough Guy's central couple will be featured.
• Episode count is expected to be six again, but see "Are seasons 2 and 3 being filmed together?" below — that may have changed. Jacob on why he prefers six: "I don't need to do 10."
• Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud and Robbie G.K. are confirmed to return in season 2 to reprise their roles
• Season 2 is confirmed to cover the next Shane/Ilya book - The Long Game. Book 5 - Role Model - will also be featured. With the casting for Vanessa and Tarek, storyline of Tough Guy is also likely to be adapted.
• It's not confirmed whether The Long Game will be featured in its entirety in season 2, or it will be split into two separate seasons.
• Two scenes Jacob has committed to: Shane coming out to his team, and Shane and Ilya getting married by Hayden's kids.
• One of the episodes will be scored almost entirely to Mozart's Requiem.

‍

Jacob was asked directly by Deadline in April whether The Long Game would be covered in full, and answered with a very pointed "Who said I'm doing it all? There's a lot of material" - which is about as close to a hint as we're going to get.

‍

Now put that together with something that Dylan Walsh (plays David Hollander) let slip in a Cameo video on 8 August. He mentioned he was heading back up to Canada to shoot: "I think it will be 12 episodes this time." Together with a shooting block that runs roughly four times longer than season 1's, we can make an educated guess that The Long Game is being filmed as one continuous 12-episode block and split across two seasons.

‍

Rumours Worth Tracking

The standalone special episode

Jacob has said he feels "misquoted" on this one, so nothing is planned as far as we know. That said, Bell Media's Justin Stockman did tell The Star that they'd look at what's feasible if Jacob can find a way to make the source material give fans something sooner. So the idea existed at exec level, even if it isn't happening.

‍

‍

Seasons 2 and 3 Filming Back-to-Back

We have two separate pieces of evidence related to this. François allegedly said at a JP Morgan Pride event that seasons 2 and 3 would be shot together. A Threads user posted a screengrab of the livestream, but no video has ever surfaced and his exact words are unverified. And Dylan Walsh, in a Cameo recorded in early August, mentioned heading back to Canada and added: "I think it will be 12 episodes this time."

‍

Season 1 was filmed in about 37 days for 6 episodes, about 6 days each. For season 2, the August-to-December shooting schedule is around 80 days. At 6 episodes that's 13+ days per episode, double season 1's pace. But at 12 episodes, it's 6.7 per episode, which is almost exactly season 1's rate.

‍

The catch: Season 3 has not been ordered by Crave officially (even though Hudson and Connor have mentioned to GQ that they are signed for 3 seasons). So unless the season renewal lands before December, them filming season 2 and 3 together remain an educated guess.

‍

A Potential Scott and Kip Spinoff

François told Glamour that "I heard, like, months ago, before the show even came out, that the producers were interested in a potential spin-off, so who knows?"

‍

‍

Which Books Is Season 2 Based On?

Season 2 is confirmed to be primarily based on The Long Game by Rachel Reid - the sixth book in the Game Changers series and the second book centred on Shane and Ilya's relationship. It is not clear whether the entirety of TLG will be featured in season 2, or it will be split into separate seasons. Jacob has said about TLG: "I mean, I'll get into a lot of trouble. But I will repeat that it is a... it's a lot of book."

‍

Season 2 will also include book 5 - Role Model - according to Jacob on the BookCon Panel: "Obviously parts of Role Model are going to be in Long Game. To the great surprise of absolutely nobody." The two books' timelines overlap significantly. Several events in The Long Game are also seen from a different perspective in Role Model. Role Model introduces Troy Barrett, who becomes Ilya's new teammate on the Ottawa Centaurs, alongside his love interest Harris Drover. Director Jacob Tierney said he's excited to meet Troy in season 2.

‍

Jacob also talks more about how he sees Troy in season 2: "I think there's an easy, kind of a facile way of looking at Role Model as like, you know, it's very grumpy-sunshine. It's very apple orchard, it can drift into things that you want, but Troy is a really damaged guy. And Troy is quite damaged on the show. Like, I would say we're digging into that even harder."

‍

As characters in book 3 - Tough Guy are being cast, including Vanessa and Tarek, it's likely that Jacob will adapt Tough Guy to some extend.

‍

Haven't read the books yet? I'd recommend reading Role Model and then The Long Game before season 2 airs.

‍

‍

Jacob's Vision for Season 2

Jacob has spoken about season 2 and The Long Game in this interview with Variety:

"The journey of this show, no matter how long it goes on for, will always be centered around the relationship between Shane and Ilya."

"Sex will always be a big part of it, like it is with any romantic relationship. But it’s really about continuing that progress of what happens after that first blush of love, what happens after you decide you’re in love and how do you sustain it?"

"That’s a very adult question: “We love each other, and now what? Does that mean everything’s easy?” No, it does not. There’s loads of challenges that get thrown Shane and Ilya’s way."

‍

He echoed this exact sentiment recently in an interview with Deadline, saying: “You’ve got your happy ending… you get to be in a relationship. You think that’s when it gets easy? It’s not.”

‍

Jacob talks more in the Book Con panel with Rachel:

"Part of the reason you start with Heated Rivalry as far as adapting goes is because you want to get to The Long Game. Because The Long Game is an emotionally sophisticated book that takes this couple seriously."

"I just thought of my favorite line in Long Game, which is when Scott comes to see them after they're outed and he's like, 'I'd like to join your camp,' and Ilya's like, 'We already have a boring guy, what will you do?'"

‍

On the Loon Call Podcast, Jacob confirmed he'll be writing a scene that isn't really in the books: Shane coming out to his teammates. "In – spoiler – season two, I’m gonna have to do Shane coming out to his team. I can’t do that off screen. That’s not how TV works".

‍

Also Jacob has said in this interview that the scene that he can commit to in TLG in season 2 is Shane and Ilya getting married by Hayden's kids. He also said that he looks forward to Ilya's interactions with Hayden because "how funny they are together and that endless antagonism that I think will be very, very charming." Rachel Reid is totally on the same page; she recently mentioned at a B&N Union Square panel that she is incredibly excited to see Hayden and Ilya clashing on screen, though it's not confirmed that 'Dinner with Hayden' will get adapted to season 2.

‍

Season 2 will be a Tonal Shift

Also at BookCon, Jacob was blunt that the adaptation is moving into much more serious territory than season 1: "It's different, it really is different." He described the hotel-room-adolescent-sex dynamic that defined so much of season 1 as largely gone, replaced by the harder question of what a relationship looks like once the danger and the novelty have worn off. He has joked that he thinks of The Long Game as "Sex Scenes From a Marriage."

‍

Before anyone panics: he also promised there's still plenty of flirting and plenty of sex. It's not going anywhere.

‍

He also reassured fans via CBC that the show isn't about to turn cruel: "This is about queer people not being punished for their queerness." He noted there may be more suspense and a few more cliffhangers, but no unhappy endings are coming for anyone.

‍

Jacob also told Swooon that because The Long Game settles into roughly a two-year window rather than racing through a decade, season 2 should have room to explore the universe properly — and specifically to spend more time with Hayden, Jackie and J.J. So the supporting cast expectations below have some real basis.

‍

‍

Returning Cast for Season 2

The main cast is confirmed to return for season 2:

• Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov
• Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander
• François Arnaud as Scott Hunter
• Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady
• Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry
• Dylan Walsh as David Hollander

‍

Beyond the confirmed main cast, the following actors are expected to return based on their characters' appearances in The Long Game and Role Model:

• Christina Chang as Yuna Hollander (Shane's mother)
• Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova (Ilya's close friend)
• Callan Potter as Hayden Pike (Shane's teammate and best friend)
• Kamilla Kowal as Jackie Pike (Hayden's wife)
• Benjamin Roy as JJ Dagenais (Shane's teammate)

‍

Note: these are expected returns based on the source material, not confirmed casting announcements. We'll update this section as official announcements are made.

‍

‍

Heated Rivalry Season 2 Casting News & Rumours

Confirmed Casting for Heated Rivalry Season 2

• ‍Charlie Gillespie as Troy Barrett (Ilya's new teammate on the Ottawa Centaurs, and the main character in Role Model)
• Justice Smith as Harris Drover (Troy's love interest and the other lead in Role Model)

‍

On 7 August 2026, the official HR account announced that Charlie Gillespie will play Troy Barrett and Justice Smith will play Harris Drover - the couple at the heart of Role Model. They join Hudson and Connor in leading roles for season 2.

‍

Jacob and Brendan said in a joint statement that from the start of casting "They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are."

‍

This is a slightly different casting approach to season 1. Hudson and Connor were near-unknowns with a handful of small credits when they were cast; Gillespie and Smith are both relatively established. Gillespie is Canadian, best known for Julie and the Phantoms, and currently in One Night Only and Splitsville. Smith is American, with I Saw the TV Glow, The Get Down, Generation, Detective Pikachu, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves behind him. Notably, the show has again gone with one Canadian and one American, which is the same split as Shane and Ilya.

‍

‍

Five new cast members were announced on 13 August 2026:

• ‍Edvin Ryding as Luca Haas (Swiss rookie, right winger for Ottawa Centaurs)‍
• Robert Naylor as Wyatt Hayes (Goalie for Ottawa Centaurs)‍
• Sabrina Jalees as Farah Jalali (Agent to both Shane and Ilya)‍
• Emily Hampshire as Vanessa (Character from Tough Guy (Book 3), friend of Fabian Salah and regular at Bargain Brunch)‍
• Priyanka as Tarek (Also from Tough Guy, another of Fabian's friend and regular at Bargain Brunch. Roommate of Vanessa)

‍

‍

Two new cast members were announced on 25 August 2026:

• Daniel Diemer as Ryan Price
• Shaheen Jafargholi as Fabian Salah

‍

Jacob and Brendan said in a joint statement: “Fabian and Ryan each bring a distinctive energy to the world Rachel Reid has created. They are bold, complicated and deeply compelling characters, and finding actors who could really take on all of those different sides was so important to us. Daniel and Shaheen bring such confidence and emotional honesty to the roles. We can’t wait for audiences to see what they do with Fabian and Ryan and how they make these characters their own.”

‍

‍

Other Potential Characters to Appear in Season 2

Based on the characters who appear in The Long Game and Role Model, here's who I'd expect to be newly cast for season 2:

• Dallas Kent - a controversial NHL player whose storyline intersects with Troy's in Role Model
• Coach Wiebe - the Ottawa Centaurs head coach
• Galina - Ilya's therapist in The Long Game
• Roger Crowell - NHL Commissioner
• Zane Boodram - Ottawa Centaurs alternate captain, known for hosting BBQ nights
• Adrian Dela Cruz - Troy's movie star ex
• Eric Bennett - Veteran goalie for New York Admirals. Main character in the book: Common Goal.

‍

And of course, arguably the most anticipated casting of all: Chiron and Anya, two very good dogs.

‍

‍

Songs & Needle Drops in Season 2

One of the most talked-about aspects of Heated Rivalry is its needle drops (and here's the full list of all the songs in season 1 if you haven't seen it already).

‍

Before we get to the needle drops, we have some exciting news about the score. On an interview with iHeartRadioCA, composer Peter Peter said he's very likely returning to create the original music for season 2.

‍

For season 2, Jacob has mentioned in this interview (at 34:08) that he's interested in featuring music by Carly Rae Jepsen in season 2. This makes perfect sense for a few reasons: she's Canadian, which fits Jacob's vision of keeping the show as Canadian as possible. Rachel Reid is a Carly fan as well: in Role Model, Harris wears a Carly Rae Jepsen t-shirt when getting his coffee delivered by Troy (Chapter 7, page 79), and Rachel mentioned that she considers Carly's song "I Really Like You" to be the theme song of Troy and Harris (So mark that song as a possibility for season 2?) Rachel talks about Carly Rae Jepsen in this interview starting at 43:34.

‍

And at a Departure panel, Jacob said that one of the episodes in season 2 will be scored almost entirely to Mozart's Requiem.

‍

One more potential song for The Long Game readers: The wedding scene in the book features "Diamonds" by Rihanna. Whether that carries over into the show remains to be seen, but we might want to temper our expectations. When asked about it by Swoon, Rachel humorously said that considering the show's budget, “It’ll probably be a Canadian indie song”. (Personal editor's note: this cover by Josef Salvat would be a great alternative - just putting that out there, Jacob.)

‍

‍

What Happens After Season 2?

The good news is that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are both signed on for three seasons, so Shane and Ilya's story on screen isn't going anywhere after season 2.

‍

The third Shane and Ilya book and the seventh in the Game Changers series is Unrivaled by Rachel Reid, which could serve as the main source material for a potential Heated Rivalry season 4. However, its release date has been pushed back from September 2026 to June 1, 2027, which puts it after the expected season 2 air date. Rachel shared this update with fans alongside a personal note about her health:

‍

"My life has gotten very different in the last couple months, and although it's all good, it's also taken away my ability to have quality time to write. And there's nothing more important to me than Unrivaled being the best book it can possibly be."

"For me, that’s been that my Parkinson’s symptoms have gotten a bit worse, and it’s made it difficult physically to write, so I’m definitely a lot slower"

‍

Despite the delay, the whole community has rallied behind Rachel to wish her the best. And the delay means we'll have more time to reheat season 1, and likely be watching season 2 before we can read Unrivaled.

‍

‍

How to Survive the Wait?

Season 2 is still a while away. Here's what we recommend before it drops:

‍

Reheat Season 1

There's genuinely no such thing as too many rewatches. Every time you go back you'll notice something new. Speaking of which, my Easter Eggs & Small Details page exists specifically for this purpose.

‍

Read the Books

If you haven't read Role Model and The Long Game yet, now is the perfect time. Editor's take: Having read Heated Rivalry before the TV show, I would say it actually made the show more enjoyable knowing the character's inner thoughts and their emotions. Jacob was able to take the source material and elevate it for the show, and I believe he would do it again. So I'd definitely recommend reading Role Model and then The Long Game before season 2.

‍

Read Fanfics on AO3

If you haven't already fallen down the fanfic rabbit hole, now is the perfect time. There are over 30,000 works about Heated Rivalry on AO3 (Archive of Our Own) and that number keeps growing. They are written by incredibly creative people, for free, purely out of love for the characters and their stories. Go read, show them some love (by leaving 'kudos') and leave a comment if you like their work.

‍

Follow the Actors

Connor, Hudson, François, Robbie, Charlie, Justice and the rest of the cast are all doing interesting things while we wait. Our HR News page is a curated hub of all the interviews, photoshoots, and projects from the cast so you don't have to scour Instagram for everything.

‍

Check Out Heated Rivalry Wiki

I mean you're on here already! Check out the parallels, TV vs book, best quotes, timeline, etc. Hopefully those pages will be interesting to fans like you.

‍

‍

Have I missed anything? If you've spotted a piece of season 2 news or an interview we haven't included, let me know via the Contribute page and I'll add it in.