The world of hockey romance is abuzz once more with exciting developments. Crave’s popular series, Heated Rivalry, is welcoming five new talented individuals to its cast.
Emily Hampshire, a well-known Canadian actress, will portray Vanessa, a character working in a sex shop. Joining her are Sabrina Jalees, a Canadian comedian and actress playing sports agent Farah Jalali, and Priyanka, a drag queen taking on the role of Tarek, an office assistant.
Emily Hampshire is recognized for her performances in the sitcom Schitt’s Creek and the TV series 12 Monkeys. Sabrina Jalees, on the other hand, has been a host for the radio and web show Laugh Out Loud and a writer for Canada’s Got Talent. Priyanka achieved fame by winning the first season of Canada’s Drag Race.
Additional cast members announced include Robert Naylor, a Canadian actor and musician, portraying goaltender Wyatt Hayes, and Edvin Ryding, a Swedish actor, playing rookie hockey player Luca Haas.
Robert Naylor is known for voicing D.W. Read in the animated series Arthur, while Edvin Ryding starred as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s Young Royals.
The new casting details were revealed on Thursday via an Instagram post by Crave. Season two of Heated Rivalry will continue the love story of hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, adapted from Rachel Reid’s sixth novel, The Long Game, within the Game Changer series. This series of hockey romance novels intertwines characters’ stories within the same universe.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their leading roles in the TV series adaptation.
The first season of the show adapted the initial two books of Reid’s series, Game Changer and Heated Rivalry.
With the latest casting announcement, it is anticipated that the third novel in the series, Tough Guy, will also be brought to the screen. Vanessa and Tarek are friends of Fabian Salah, the love interest of hockey player Ryan Price in Tough Guy.
The upcoming season will also incorporate the narratives of Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s new team
