The roster is growing as the cast returns to the ice for Heated Rivalry Season 2. HBO announced Friday that Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have joined the series, where they’ll star alongside returning leads Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. The acclaimed series is created by Jacob Tierney and based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers book series. Here’s everything to know about HBO’s sexy series’ sophomore run.
The cast
Justice Smith (I Saw the TV Glow, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t) and Charlie Gillespie (One Night Only, Splitsville) have been cast in the second season of the hit Crave Original series as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett. Smith and Gillespie join Williams and Storrie in leading roles for the upcoming new season.
The plot
More hockey! More steamy scenes! While Season 1 traced how a secret fling between rookie rivals Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) evolved into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery, Season 2 shifts focus to new romance and will dive into the relationship between Smith and Gillespie’s characters. “Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can’t help but root for. From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen. Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are,” Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a statement.
Who’s behind the camera
The series is commissioned by Bell Media’s Crave, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund. Tierney is writer, director, and executive producer. Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as executive producers. Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje are producers, with Reid as consulting producer. Mike Goldbach serves as co-writer on Season 2.
When will Season 2 air
The upcoming new season will debut on HBO Max in Spring 2027.
