RED ALERT THIS IS NOT A DRILL: We have two new hunks officially joining the cast of Heated Rivalry Season 2; gird your loins!
This month, hockey gay romance fans have turned their eyes to Toronto, where the smash-hit Crave/HBO Max drama was slated to begin production on its highly anticipated second season.
Already, the show has had to issue an official statement (kindly) asking everyone to not crash the set: “As we gear up for more Heated Rivalry, please help us in making it the best it can be. If you happen to come across one of our filming locations, please give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they do best.”
In other words: Please chill out, y’all!!!
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Of course, it’s hard to stay chill when our very own Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov—a.k.a. Connor Storrie & Hudson Williams—have reunited, spotted roaming the streets of the city together like no time has passed at all.
But they’re not the only heartthrobs in town: Variety reports that actors Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie will be joining the series for Season 2, playing characters Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively.
How will Troy Barrett & Harris Dover factor into Heated Rivalry Season 2?
If you’ve read the other books in author Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” series beyond the eponymous Heated Rivalry, you’ll surely recognize those names, and you’re probably freaking out right now. Well, go ahead! Scream into your pillow, dump a bucket of ice water on your head, dance in the streets! Do whatever you’ve got to do—we’ll give you a minute.
Ostensibly, Season 2 will be adapting the sixth book in Reid’s hockey series, The Long Game, which furthers the romantic adventures of rivals-turned-lovers Shane & Ilya and the ripple effects of keeping their now official relationship a secret.
Related
Heated Rivalry: We may have already met a new star of the hot hockey romance’s second season!
With news of ‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2, fans are already wondering if we’ll be seeing more of this character in the future.
But, much in the same way that Season 1 incorporated the plot of the original Game Changer book by introducing us to Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.) and showing the impact their relationship has on Shane & Ilya, it seems these new episodes will also be pulling, in part, from the fifth book, Role Model.
In that book’s timeline, Ilya has switched teams to the Ottawa Centaurs to be closer to Shane. After a rough break-up with a secret boyfriend and a scandal involving a homophobic teammate, former Toronto Guardians player Troy Barrett (played by Charlie Gillespie in the series) transfers to the Centaurs and immediately gets off on the wrong foot with his captain, Ilya.
Despite the rough start, Troy gradually warms up to the team’s fun-loving social media manager Harris Drover (that’s Justice Smith), and without giving too much away, the pair’s developing relationship runs parallel to—and frequently intersects with—Shane & Ilya’s story, eventually bringing all of them to a head with the NHL Commissioner, Roger Crowell, who turns out to be quite a bigot (though that role’s casting hasn’t been announced yet, the character’s seems poised to be a big part of Season 2).
According to Variety, Smith and Gillespie will “lead Season 2 alongside [its] returning stars,” so expect Troy & Harris to get at least one episode dedicated solely to their story, while they’re likely pop up frequently in other episodes, too.
Related
Jacob Tierney changed the culture with Heated Rivalry
Where would we be without Jacob Tierney?
Where you’ve seen Justice Smith & Charlie Gillespie before
Regardless of how big a role they play in the season’s narrative, we’ve already won because we have two more hot hockey stars to swoon over, and another heartstring-pulling romance to root for!
The news comes a week after gossip blog DeuxMoi alleged that Smith would be joining the cast, an especially exciting prospect because he’s an out queer actor who brings some real star power to the series. Smith has been booked & busy for the past decade, appearing on stage and screen in both massive blockbusters (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) and indie faves (I Saw The TV Glow, the series Genera+ion).
Smith came out as queer in a 2020 Instagram post amid the Black Lives Matter protests, writing, “As a black queer man myself, I was disappointed to see certain people eager to say Black Lives Matter, but hold their tongue when Trans/Queer was added.” Since then, he’s continued to be a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ causes, and last fall got some attention for his appearance on Gaydar where he said, “I don’t allow straight people to call me gay—I think straight people have a limited definition of what gay is.” Say that!!!
As for Charlie Gillespie, the Canadian born actor racked up a number of TV credits before his breakthrough role in the 2020 Netflix musical series Julie And The Phantoms. But, chances are, if you’re a regular citizen of the Gay Internet
, you probably saw a few of his scenes from the 2025 comedy Splitsville floating around X in which he appears wearing nothing—except for an acoustic guitar and a hot ‘stache. For example:
And speaking of ‘satches, it was long rumored that Adults hottie Jack Innanen—a.k.a. the sexually fluid Paul Baker—might’ve been up for role in Season 2, but had to pass on the opportunity to be a part of the series due to scheduling conflicts. There’s no word if that role might’ve been Troy Barrett, but we have a feeling you won’t be hearing any complaints from the gays once they set their sights on GIllespie.
“Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can’t help but root for,” series creator Jacob Tierney & executive producer Brendan Brady shared in a joint press statement. “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. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are.”
And we could not be more excited! Heated Rivalry Season 2 is filming now, and is expected to premiere on Crave & HBO Max sometime in April 2027. In the meantime, we have a feeling you’ll want to further familiarize yourself with the new stars, so check out some highlights from their Instagrams below:
(@charles_gillespie)Related
Justice for ‘Genera+ion’: Why the queer HBO Max teen series still deserves its flowers
With a cast that includes hot stars like Justice Smith, Nava Mau, & Chase Sui Wonders, was ‘Genera+ion’ just ahead of its +ime?
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
