The Crave series was officially renewed for its second season in December.

Heated Rivalry creator teases important season 2 casting, ‘diversions’ to other characters

The Crave series was officially renewed for its second season in December.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 3, 2026 5:12 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Jacob Tierney; Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams on 'Heated Rivalry'. Credit:

Harold Feng/Getty; Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

The world of *Heated Rivalry* is a large one — spanning soon-to-be seven books, to be exact — and series creator Jacob Tierney is looking to pack as much of that universe into the TV series as possible.

In an interview with the *Los Angeles Times* published on Tuesday, Tierney didn't reveal too much about his plans for the second season of his Canadian megahit romance series following hockey superstars Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) as their intense rivalry on the ice belies a secret romance, but he did share a bit of what fans can expect.

First, as undeniable as it is that Shane and Ilya's romance is the steamy center of the series, Tierney pointed out that the stories focused on the characters around them are just as vital to the show.

"Just like you can't tell the story without Scott Hunter, you can't really tell the story without Troy Barrett," Tierney told the outlet, referring to a yet-unseen character from author Rachel Reid's *Game Changer* series.

Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

He added that there would "absolutely" be "diversions" to other characters in the canon. Given that Tierney and Brendan Brady, his producing partner through their Accent Aigu Entertainment banner, has optioned all of the *Game Changer* novels (including Reid's forthcoming *Unrivaled*), everything is on the table.

And, despite some calls from fans to throw in some high-profile faces into the cast, Tierney emphasized that the series will continue to center "Canadian talent."

"We need Canadian talent, and we love Canadian talent," he said. "It's not a burden, but it's also something we literally have to do to get our financing."

'Heated Rivalry' stars get even hotter roles in 2026 Olympics

'Heated Rivalry' star Hudson Williams opens up on navigating Beatlemania-like crowds: 'Sort of exhausting'

While *Heated Rivalry *became a runaway success for HBO Max and the No. 1 show on the streamer, the series was originally created for Canadian streaming platform Crave. HBO Max will distribute the show from Canada's Crave streamer in the U.S. and Australia, and is in the midst of making a deal to release season 2 in more territories.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Season 1 of the queer hockey romance series consists of six episodes, which Tierney said he plans continue in season 2 alongside a co-writer. "I don't need to do 10. I would always rather tighten the belt than get loosey-goosey," he told the publication. "I would rather be like, 'Let's see how much story we can pack into these episodes.'"

François Arnaud as Scott Hunter and Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady on 'Heated Rivalry'.

"We want everybody to be left yearning," Brady added. "That's what everybody loves about this show. Less is more!"

Yearning is definitely on the menu, especially since Tierney revealed that season 2 won't premiere until spring 2027. And while season 1 spanned the first two books in the series, Tierney declined to share how he plans to adapt *The Long Game* over the next season, including whether he'll dive into the love story of Matthew Finlan's Kyle Swift after introducing him in season 1.

Fans will just have to bear through the teasing until next year to see what Tierney has in store for them!**

- TV Development

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL TV”