What to know
- Heated Rivalry has unveiled new season two cast members alongside returning stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.
- While some fans celebrated the additions, the casting of Harris sparked criticism from viewers concerned about body diversity.
- Fans pointed to the character’s stockier build in Rachel Reid’s books, with some arguing the adaptation is losing a rare example of plus-size Queer representation.
- Author Rachel Reid publicly celebrated the casting announcement, while the online debate highlights the expectations surrounding a series widely praised for Queer representation.
Heated Rivalry’s long-awaited second season just dropped its cast list, and while some fans are thrilled, others are raising concerns about the show’s representation, especially around body diversity.
Crave’s Canadian Queer hockey drama has been a hot topic for challenging traditional views of masculinity in sports and representing Queer love on mainstream TV.
Heated Rivalry follows the story of two rival professional hockey players whose secret relationship unfolds over several years, based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel series.
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Now, the second season is in production and is expected to come out hopefully in April 2027.
In February, actor Connor Storie, who plays main character Ilya Rozanov in the series, hinted in an Instagram reel that the next season would be based on the sixth book of the Game Changer series, The Long Game, released in 2022.
Now, Crave has revealed its long-anticipated cast on an Instagram post, and Canadian reality TV star Dom Gabriel, who was campaigning for the role of Zane Boodram, is hopeful that his friendship with Director Jacob Tierney and his fandom backing him up would score him the role, but he is not in the revealed cast list.
The season two cast list is revealed, but most fans are disappointed
Heated Rivalry welcomes returning crew Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, but new faces include Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie.
“Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more excited. Incredible casting. But honestly, there was never any doubt. The Heated Rivalry team knows what they’re doing,” one Instagram user wrote.
“I can’t wait for my entire life to revolve around this TV show again. Mind you, my multiple Heated Rivalry groupchats are still active,” another added.
But some users aren’t as enthusiastic, calling out the casting choice for lacking body positivity.
“A skinny Harris is such an indicator of where we are with body positivity these days,” one user criticized.
“So just erasing Harris’s stocky, bear body? OK, cool… thanks a lot,” another said.
“Losing our plus-size Queer rep is heartbreaking,” another commented.
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But Game Changers novel series writer, Rachel Reid, posted excitedly on her story.
“Old friends and new friends,” one story said.
“I’m finally allowed to follow these two lol,” she wrote on a second story, after the casting announcement was finally done.
Below the casting social media post, she also wrote “Yay!!!!” with three apple emojis.
Whether fans are celebrating the new faces or calling for more inclusive representation, one thing is certain: Heated Rivalry season two is already generating passionate conversation and excitement as the premiere comes closer.
