Heated Rivalry Season 2 Cast & New Characters, Explained

Heated Rivalry season 2 is bringing a bunch of new characters from Rachel Reid's other books 😍 Whether you've read every Game Changers book or you're show-only and wondering who on earth Bood is, this is your guide to every new character confirmed so far: who they are, where they come from in Rachel Reid's books, and how they fit into Shane and Ilya's world.

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Every character starts with a spoiler-free description. Skip the 'book spoiler' section if you don't want to know any plot details from Tough Guy, Role Model or The Long Game.

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The Couples

Troy Barrett

Played by Charlie Gillespie

Appears in: Tough Guy, Common Goal, Role Model, The Long Game

• Forward for the Ottawa Centaurs, newly traded from the Toronto Guardians. He and Harris are the central couple in the book Role Model, which will be featured in season 2.
• Considered to be one of the hottest hockey players in the league.
• Spent years as Dallas/Cody Kent's best friend and linemate, joining in on Kent's bullying.
• Troy has a bad reputation after spending much time with Kent as friends. After arriving in Ottawa, Troy's teammates are skeptical of him; Bood tells him to his face that he always assumed Troy was a piece of shit, but hopes to be proven wrong.
• Pretty reserved and awkward in social settings. Likes to keep to himself.
• Despite his reputation, Troy is a kind-hearted person with a strong sense of empathy and justice.

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Deeply closeted when we meet him. Ilya befriends him as a teammate in Ottawa, and the two come out to each other after a night hanging out at the Kingfisher in New York (with Scott Hunter and Eric Bennett): Troy is gay, and Ilya is bisexual.
• When Troy speaks out against Kent, Crowell tries to silence him, and Coach Wiebe firmly stands between his player and the Commissioner.
• Struggles with social media initially, but Troy ultimately learns to use his platform to advocate for sexual assault survivors.

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Harris Drover

Played by Justice Smith

Appears in: Role Model, The Long Game

• Social media manager for the Ottawa Centaurs.
• Loud, bubbly and outgoing. Harris is well-liked and fully accepted by the whole Centaurs team.
• Harris is openly gay and proud, often wearing pride and queer-themed pins on his clothes.
• Grew up on the Drover Family U-Pick Farm, an apple orchard that's been in his family for generations.
• Often brings Chiron, the Ottawa team dog, into the locker room to play with Centaurs players.

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Born with a rare heart defect called truncus arteriosus. He's had major heart surgery which left him with a long scar on his chest. It's also the reason he couldn't play hockey when he was young.

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Ryan Price

Played by Daniel Diemer

Appears in: Heated Rivalry, Tough Guy, Common Goal, Role Model, The Long Game

• Defenseman for the Toronto Guardians. His job on the ice is to fight and protect the team's star players like Dallas/Cody Kent. Hockey fans chant "Pay the Price" when they want him to start fights, but Ryan absolutely hates the violence.
• A true gentle giant. He's tall, sports a full beard and looks incredibly intimidating, which is a massive contrast to his shy and gentle personality.
• Struggles with clinical anxiety, panic attacks and severe flight anxiety. He reads "Anne of Green Gables" to help calm himself during flights.
• Changes teams so often that Shane and Ilya even talk about it in Season 1. As Ilya pointed out in episode 4, Ryan "doesn't make friends".
• Loves an iced chai latte.

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Regularly deals with physical pain after injury after injury, and relies on painkiller injections just to keep playing. It's a dependency Fabian hates and wants him to stop once they start dating.
• Becomes a Bargain Brunch regular once he and Fabian are together.
• Coaches at Shane and Ilya's hockey camp and is one of the few people who knows they're together. He also walked in on them kissing in the camp office. Twice!

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Fabian Salah

Played by Shaheen Jafargholi

Appears in: Tough Guy, Common Goal, Role Model, The Long Game

• An aspiring, talented musician with incredible confidence and a strong stage presence. Works a day job at Savers Drug Mart, a chain pharmacy, while pursuing his music career.
• Flamboyant, androgynous and proud. Unapologetically femme, often wears makeup, and completely owns who he is.
• His family billeted Ryan Price when they were teenagers. Fabian had a crush on Ryan back then, but was completely convinced it wasn't reciprocated.
• Actively dislikes hockey culture and hockey players in general, with the exception of one player, obviously.

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Fiercely supportive and protective of Ryan after they reunite in Toronto. He's Ryan's biggest advocate, especially when it comes to his physical and mental health.
• He and Ryan go on a double date with Shane and Ilya while they're still closeted.
• Seeing one of Fabian's concerts helps Shane understand just how diverse queerness can be.

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The Ottawa Centaurs (& WAG)

Luca Haas

Played by Edvin Ryding

Appears in: Role Model, The Long Game

• Rookie right winger for the Ottawa Centaurs, all the way from Switzerland. Talented, but still finding his footing. Jersey #11.
• Baby-faced, shy and hates being the centre of attention. A genuinely talented artist who always has his sketchbook on him.
• Worships Ilya. Had an Ilya poster as a kid (maybe still does!)
• Gets visibly flustered whenever Ilya talks to him (which of course Ilya notices, because he's... what's the word, perceptive)

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Zane "Bood" Boodram

Played by Brendan Morgan

Appears in: Role Model, The Long Game

• Forward (left wing) and alternate captain for the Ottawa Centaurs
• The team's unofficial social director. Big-hearted and loved by his teammates. Can be blunt, but it always comes from a place of love and support (just ask Troy).
• Loves barbecuing and regularly hosts BBQ nights at his place for teammates and WAGs. He also loves spicy food and makes his own pepper sauce.
• In the books, he's married to Cassie Boodram and has a son, Milo.

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Wyatt Hayes

Played by Robert Naylor

Appears in: Tough Guy, Role Model, The Long Game

• Ottawa Centaurs' goalie. He was Ryan Price's teammate at the Toronto Guardians (also home to Troy Barrett and Dallas/Cody Kent), where he helped Ryan through his flight anxiety, and he's been Ryan's support ever since.
• Straight, and a proud queer ally. Supportive of his queer sister, and dislikes bullying or homophobic talk in the locker room and on the ice.
• Massive comic book fan with a recommendation always ready, and host of the team's monthly board game nights (Catan and Ticket to Ride)
• "Unwavering goodness", according to Troy

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Dr Lisa Hayes

Played by Michelle Mylett

Appears in: Tough Guy, Role Model, The Long Game

• A doctor at an Ottawa children's hospital
• Wife of Wyatt Hayes. They met in a Toronto hospital.
• When Troy is first traded and stuck living in a hotel, Lisa pushes Wyatt to recommend the long-term place they once stayed at.

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Coach Wiebe

Played by Kevin Zegers

Appears in: Role Model, The Long Game

• Young, "rookie" head coach of the Ottawa Centaurs
• A breath of fresh air. Instead of being the traditional, toxic hockey coach, he leads with a laid-back attitude, true compassion and heart.
• The rare kind of coach his players can easily joke around with. They treat him like a friend, but deeply respect his leadership and advice.
• Always has his players' backs, even when that means going up against the league.

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Comes out to Ilya as bisexual to show his support.
• Had his own secret relationship with another player back in his playing days, but when he admitted he was falling in love, the other player didn't take it well.
• When Crowell tries to discipline or threaten Troy and Ilya, Wiebe firmly stands between his players and the Commissioner.

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Gen

Played by Lauren Chan

Appears in: Role Model

• Ottawa Centaurs team photographer
• Works in the same office as Harris Drover, the team's social media manager (and Troy Barrett's love interest)
• Sometimes gossips with Harris about the players, including the newly traded Troy Barrett.

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The Bargain Brunch Crew

Vanessa

Played by Emily Hampshire

Appears in: Tough Guy

• Close friend of Fabian's, and Tarek's roommate
• A regular at the weekly Bargain Brunch
• Works at a sex shop and runs her own sex toy review blog. Regularly hands Fabian sex toys to test and review.
• Loud and blunt, but always out of love. Fabian goes to her for advice

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Tarek

Played by Priyanka

Appears in: Tough Guy

• Another close friend of Fabian's, and Vanessa's roommate
• Works as an office assistant at an immigration service
• Hosts Bargain Brunch every Sunday at the apartment he shares with Vanessa in Toronto's Gay Village. Everyone brings waffle toppings and cheap champagne.

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Shane & Ilya's Corner

Farah Jalali

Played by Sabrina Jalees

Appears in: The Long Game

• Shane and Ilya's agent
• Handles contracts, endorsement deals, and damage control.
• Supportive while being professional

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• When Shane and Ilya's relationship is outed by Hayden's FanMail incident, she's the first person they call, and she helps draft their public statements.

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Dr Galina Molchalina

Played by Milla Jovovich

Appears in: The Long Game‍

• Ilya's Russian-speaking therapist. Because she shares his cultural background, she uniquely understands the stigmas and challenges surrounding mental health for Russians.
• Works in a cosy office with a grey sofa and fake plants
• Totally composed and non-judgmental. She uses her calm professionalism to keep Ilya in check, especially when he gets frustrated that she hasn't magically "fixed him" after only a few sessions.

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Ilya starts seeing her when he's worried his depression could get as bad as his mother's. She gives him a safe space to work through it.
• Stays completely calm even when Ilya drops the massive bombshell about his secret, long-term relationship with Shane.

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The 'Villains'

Content note: this section mentions sexual assault, homophobia and abuse.

Commissioner Roger Crowell

Played by Paul Gross

Appears in: Game Changer, Role Model, The Long Game

• Commissioner of the NHL/MLH, and the ultimate "big bad" of Role Model and The Long Game
• Obsessed with the league's "image" and the status quo. His conservative views often come at the expense of players' mental health, even if it means ignoring abuse and keeping homophobia alive.
• A master of veiled threats. He has a deceptively friendly front, but his words have a dark, menacing edge.
• Deeply dislikes the Ottawa Centaurs for their progressive activism, their very queer roster, and Coach Wiebe (who has previously filed bullying complaints against the league when he was a player)

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Willingly turns a blind eye to problematic, toxic players, most notably shielding Dallas/Cody Kent despite severe allegations of sexual assault
• Actively tries to silence players like Troy, Shane and Ilya when they threaten to disrupt his system.

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Dallas/Cody Kent

Played by David Tomlinson

Appears in: Tough Guy, Common Goal, Role Model, The Long Game‍

• Renamed from Dallas to Cody Kent for the show. The reason is not known at the time of writing.
• Star player for the Toronto Guardians, Troy's former best friend and linemate, and Ryan Price's teammate.
• Loudly sexist, racist and homophobic. Troy, being Kent's friend at the time, joins in on the bad behaviour, and Ryan is one of the players on the receiving end of the bullying.
• Accused by multiple women of sexual assault. Rather than investigate, the team and the league choose to support Kent and try to silence the women.

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• In 2020, Troy calls Kent out during team practice: "You're a piece of sh*t rapist." But it's Troy who gets traded, not Kent.
• Arrested on the morning of Pride Night, after five women come forward to press charges.

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Coach Cooper

Played by Gerry Dee

Appears in: Tough Guy, Role Model

• Head coach of the Toronto Guardians, where Ryan Price, Dallas/Cody Kent and Troy Barrett play.
• Has a demanding and abusive coaching style, and uses homophobic and vulgar language.
• One time, after Ryan refuses to fight on the ice, Cooper yells at and threatens him, saying he could easily be replaced.

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Curtis Barrett

Played by Nick Stahl

Appears in: Role Model

• Troy Barrett's father, and the source of nearly every insecurity Troy carries into adulthood.
• Former major junior hockey player who started a crane company around 2000 that made him very wealthy. Divorced from Troy's mother, Julia Fraiser.
• Raised Troy in a culture of hypermasculinity. Troy's mother tells him he reminds her of Curtis at the same age, a comparison that terrifies Troy.
• Openly homophobic, misogynistic and generally uncaring towards Troy

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⚠️ Book spoilers

• Dismisses the sexual assault allegations against Dallas/Cody Kent as internet lies, and tells Troy he should apologise to his former teammate.

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That's All the New Characters for Heated Rivalry Season 2 (So Far!)

I can't wait to see all of them come to life next spring! Want to know more about how they fit into the main story before Season 2 drops? Check out the book pages which include detailed summaries:

• Tough Guy - Ryan & Fabian
• Role Model - Troy & Harris
• The Long Game - Shane & Ilya's next chapter

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Also click here for everything you need to know about Heated Rivalry season 2 🫶🏼