Two New Leads Join Crave's Breakout Queer Hockey Drama
The queer romantic drama Heated Rivalry is expanding its roster. Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have been cast as the lead characters of Season 2, joining returning stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams for the highly anticipated new chapter of the Crave and HBO Max series [1][2].
Smith will play Harris Drover, the Ottawa Centaurs' social media manager, while Gillespie takes on the role of Troy Barrett, a professional hockey player traded to the Ottawa team [1][2]. The casting was announced August 7, 2026, with production set to begin the same month and a spring 2027 release targeted [2].
Who Are Harris and Troy?
Though official character descriptions from Crave and HBO Max have not yet been released, the roles are drawn directly from Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series, on which the show is based [1]. In Reid's fifth novel, Role Model, Troy arrives in Ottawa after severing ties with a former friend and teammate on the Toronto team — one who has been accused of sexual assault. Harris, meanwhile, is the team's social media manager who makes it his mission to draw the guarded Troy out of his shell [1].
Season 2 will primarily adapt Reid's sixth novel, The Long Game, which follows returning characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov — now in a committed relationship — as they navigate building a life together while keeping their feelings hidden from the public [2]. Role Model, which takes place concurrently with The Long Game, will serve as additional source material, meaning Harris and Troy's story unfolds in parallel with the continuing Shane-and-Ilya arc [2].
Showrunner Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady expressed enthusiasm for the new additions in a joint statement: "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." [1][2]
The New Stars
Smith brings a growing independent film profile to the role. His credits include I Saw the TV Glow and Now You See Me: Now You Don't, and he is represented by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern [1][2].
Gillespie's recent work spans One Night Only, Splitsville, and Suze [1]. He is represented by Vanderwerff Talent, David Dean Management, and Meyer & Downs, LLP [1][2].
Returning Cast and Season 1 Context
Smith and Gillespie join Storrie and Williams, who became breakout stars through Season 1. Both actors were working as waiters when they were cast [2]. Williams subsequently won a Canadian Screen Award for his portrayal of Shane Hollander [2]. Season 1 followed what the show's official logline described as "what began as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies" that "evolved into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery" [1].
The first season was adapted from Reid's second Game Changers novel, also titled Heated Rivalry, with Reid's debut novel, Game Changers, serving as secondary source material [2]. The show premiered in November 2025 and was renewed early in its first-season run [2].
In the Season 1 finale, Ilya Rozanov made the decision to transfer to the low-ranking Ottawa Centaurs to be closer to his now-boyfriend Shane Hollander — a plot move that sets the stage for Ottawa to become a central location in Season 2 [2].
The Creative Team
Jacob Tierney, who created the series, returns as writer, director, and executive producer [1][2]. Brendan Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson also return as executive producers, with Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje serving as producers [1][2]. Reid continues in her role as consulting producer [1][2]. Mike Goldbach joins the Season 2 writing room as co-writer alongside Tierney [1][2].
The series is commissioned by Bell Media's Crave with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and is produced by Tierney and Brady's Accent Aigu Entertainment [2]. Bell's Sphere Abacus handles international distribution [1]. HBO Max has confirmed it will continue to air the series in the United States [2].
What to Watch Next
With cameras rolling imminently and a spring 2027 window in view, attention will turn to how Tierney and his team weave two concurrent love stories — Shane and Ilya's public-facing relationship struggles alongside the fresh dynamic between Harris and Troy — into a single cohesive season. Whether the show can replicate the cultural momentum that made near-instant stars of Williams and Storrie, this time with Smith and Gillespie carrying a parallel narrative, will be the defining question heading into production.