Shane And Ilya Are Back! Heated Rivalry Season 2 Has Officially Started Filming — And Their Secret Romance Is About To Enter An Even More Complicated Chapter In The Highly Anticipated The Long Game Adaptation! Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie return as Shane and Ilya as the series expands beyond their fierce hockey rivalry into the pressures of maintaining a relationship nobody can know about. With new players joining the story, familiar faces returning and filming now underway in Toronto, Season 2 is expected to arrive in spring 2027.

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‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 Begins Filming as First Set Photo Arrives

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in 'Heated Rivalry' Episode 4

Heated Rivalry Season 2 is officially in production, giving fans their first glimpse at the next chapter of the hit hockey romance as filming gets underway in Toronto.

Production began on August 17 and is expected to continue through the fall, with the series currently targeting a spring 2027 return on Crave and HBO Max. Creator Jacob Tierney is once again leading the adaptation, with Rachel Reid’s The Long Game providing the main foundation for the new season.

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their roles as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, whose secret relationship faces an increasingly difficult test as their lives and careers move forward.

Shane and Ilya enter The Long Game

Season 1 ended with Shane and Ilya finally acknowledging their love and committing to a future together. But keeping that relationship hidden remains central to what comes next.

In The Long Game, Ilya has moved closer to Shane and become captain of the Ottawa Centaurs. Although the change makes it easier for the pair to spend time together, secrecy begins placing increasing pressure on their relationship.

Shane remains deeply focused on hockey and reluctant to risk his career by making their romance public. Ilya, however, finds the years of hiding increasingly difficult to endure. That conflict forces them to confront a fundamental choice about how much they are willing to sacrifice for hockey — and for each other.

Tierney has said the second season will allow the series to spend more time exploring the wider world surrounding the couple, particularly Ilya’s new life with the Centaurs.

Despite that expansion, the creator has made clear that Shane and Ilya will remain the “heartbeat” of the series.

New characters join the Centaurs

 

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Season 2 is significantly expanding its ensemble.

Edvin Ryding, known for Young Royals, has joined the cast as Swedish rookie Luca Haas, while Robert Naylor will play friendly Centaurs goalie Wyatt Hayes. Sabrina Jalees will appear as Shane and Ilya’s supportive agent.

Emily Hampshire and drag performer Priyanka have also joined as Vanessa and Tarek, characters connected to Rachel Reid’s Tough Guy.

The additions suggest that Season 2 will reach further into Reid’s wider Game Changers universe rather than concentrating exclusively on The Long Game.

Troy and Harris will have a bigger role

 

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Charlie Gillespie and Justice Smith will appear as Troy Barrett and Harris Drover, respectively, with elements of their story from Role Model also being incorporated into Season 2.

Tierney has described Troy as a deeply damaged character and indicated that the television adaptation intends to explore those emotional layers even further.

The showrunner previously confirmed that he has optioned all of Reid’s Game Changers books, giving the series considerable room to introduce interconnected characters and romances while continuing Shane and Ilya’s story.

Familiar faces are coming back

Sophie Nélisse is expected to return as Shane’s actress ex-girlfriend Rose Landry, who becomes a friendly confidant in The Long Game.

François Arnaud has also confirmed there will be more of Scott Hunter and Kip, played by Robbie G.K., although exactly how they will feature remains under wraps.

Dylan Walsh and Christina Chang are returning as Shane’s parents, while Callan Potter will once again play Shane’s friend and teammate Hayden.

Whether Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova will return as Ilya’s close friend Svetlana has not yet been confirmed.

Season 2 will broaden the world beyond the central romance

While Season 1 moved rapidly through Shane and Ilya’s relationship over several years, The Long Game operates within a more concentrated period.

That gives the adaptation an opportunity to spend more time with the people surrounding them, including members of the Ottawa Centaurs and Shane’s teammates.

Tierney has also said the series will continue the spirit established in its first season. Although viewers can expect emotional highs and lows, additional suspense and potentially more cliffhangers, he stressed that the story is not interested in punishing its queer characters for being themselves.

Fans of the novel can also expect at least one particularly anticipated moment to survive the transition to television. Reid confirmed in March that the famous trophy room scene from The Long Game will be filmed.

Will all of The Long Game be covered in Season 2?

That remains uncertain.

Tierney has declined to confirm whether the entire novel will be adapted during the second season. The inclusion of the trophy room sequence — which occurs relatively late in the book — could suggest the story will progress significantly.

However, Tierney later raised doubts about whether everything would fit into a single season, pointing out that there is a considerable amount of material available.

Season 2 is expected to remain compact. Tierney has indicated that six episodes will likely continue to be the preferred format, explaining that he would rather pack the story tightly into fewer episodes than unnecessarily stretch it across a longer season.

There have also been discussions about potentially producing a special episode ahead of the new season, although nothing has been officially confirmed.

When will Heated Rivalry Season 2 premiere?

An exact premiere date has not yet been announced, but Heated Rivalry Season 2 is expected to arrive in spring 2027 on Crave and HBO Max.

With production now underway, a growing ensemble and The Long Game pushing Shane and Ilya into a much more complicated stage of their relationship, Season 2 is set to expand the world introduced in the first season while keeping its central romance firmly at the heart of the story.