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The cast of “Heated Rivalry” continues to warm up.
Kevin Zegers, Paul Gross and Milla Jovovich have joined the hit ice-hockey romance series from Crave ahead of its Season 2 debut on HBO Max in spring 2027.
Zegers (“The
Madison,” “Transamerica”) will play Coach Wiebe. Gross (“Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Tales of the City”) is Commissioner Roger Crowell. And Jovovich (“Resident Evil, The Fifth Element”) will portray Dr. Galina Molchalina.
They join series leads Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, as well as previously announced cast Justice Smith, Charlie Gillespie, Daniel Diemer, Shaheen Jafargholi, Robert Naylor, Sophie Nélisse, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Edvin Ryding, François Arnaud, Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Robbie G.K., Callan Potter, Benjamin Roy, Kamilla Kowal, Emily Hampshire, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka.
Created by Jacob Tierney, “Heated Rivalry” follows the skate-crossed love affair between rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie). The two star athletes are pulled together by ambition and attraction, and what begins as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies develops into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery.
The show is based on Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” book series, with the second season borrowing its premise from the sixth book, titled “The Long Game.” It follows Shane and Ilya as they play on teams that are closer geographically and navigate the complexities of taking their relationship public.
While “Heated Rivalry” hails from the Canadian streaming service Crave, it became a massive hit months after its U.S. debut on HBO Max. The show hit the American streamer in November 2025 but became a word-of-mouth hit in early 2026, with episodes reaching an average viewership of more than 10 million.
“Heated Rivalry” is commissioned by Bell Media’s Crave with the participation of the Canada Media Fund (CMF). Tierney is the writer, director and executive producer. Brendan Brady and Jayme Alter Wilson serve as executive producers. Lori Fischburg and Liane Cunje are producers, with Rachel Reid as consulting producer. Mike Goldbach serves as co-writer on Season 2.
