‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 to Introduce New Gay Couple as Queer Hockey Drama Expands Its World

Canadian streamer Crave and U. S. partner HBO Max have renewed the queer hockey romance series Heated Rivalry for a second season following the breakout success of its debut run. The first season, based on Rachel Reid’s novel of the same name from her Game Changers series, focused on the slow-burn love story between professional hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.

In an interview about the show’s future, Reid confirmed that season 2 will introduce a new gay couple while keeping Shane and Ilya at the center of the narrative. She explained that the second season will be “mostly The Long Game, ” the follow‑up novel that revisits Shane and Ilya a decade into their relationship, but will also draw from another book in her interconnected universe.

The Long Game picks up with Shane and Ilya ten years into a long-term relationship that remains hidden from the public, as both men continue to play professional hockey under intense media scrutiny. According to the novel’s synopsis, the couple must navigate the mounting tension between their desire to live openly as partners and the professional risks of coming out in a still‑conservative sports environment.

Reid told Attitude that some of the new season’s characters will be drawn from her book Role Model, which overlaps with the events of The Long Game. Role Model centers on Troy Barrett and Harris Drover, whose romance in the novels forms part of the wider queer tapestry of the Game Changers hockey world. The series has not yet announced casting for Troy and Harris, but their storyline is expected to unfold alongside Shane and Ilya’s ongoing arc.

The television adaptation has already begun drawing from multiple books in Reid’s series. Season 1’s third episode, “Hunter, ” incorporated elements from Game Changers, the first book in the universe, by introducing team captain Scott Hunter and his secret boyfriend Kip Grady. Their storyline, which depicts a closeted star player and his partner negotiating privacy and visibility, resonated strongly with viewers and remained only partially told on screen.

Reid said the creative team was surprised by how popular Scott and Kip became with fans after season 1. She noted that there are active conversations about how to bring the pair back for more substantial screen time in season 2, reflecting the audience appetite for a broader spectrum of queer relationships in sport. This response highlights how LGBTQ+ viewers are seeking multi‑couple ensembles rather than a single flagship romance, especially in genres like sports drama where representation has historically been scarce.

Showrunner Jacob Tierney has indicated that writing on season 2 has not yet begun, meaning there is currently no confirmed premiere date. However, he has said publicly that the team does not want fans to wait two years between seasons and is preparing to return to work on the series. Reid added that discussions are underway about expanding the episode count beyond the first season’s six episodes, potentially allowing more room to explore additional queer characters’ stories.

Heated Rivalry stands out in the current television landscape for its unapologetically queer focus and its attention to the realities of being gay or bisexual in elite men’s hockey. In the novels, Ilya is described as bisexual and Russian while Shane is a gay Canadian player of Japanese heritage, both of whom struggle with the pressures of staying closeted within a hypermasculine sports culture. By translating this dynamic to screen and now extending it to more couples, the adaptation offers rare mainstream visibility for queer men in professional team sports.

Reid has also been vocal about conversations around authorship and representation as her series has reached a wider audience through the show. In a recent interview, she addressed speculation about her own sexuality, emphasizing that her personal identity should not be the measure of whether she is “allowed” to write about gay and bisexual men, and urging critics to focus on the work itself. Her comments echo ongoing community discussions about who can tell queer stories, while underscoring the value of centering respectful, well‑researched depictions of LGBTQ+ lives.

As Heated Rivalry moves into its second season, the decision to introduce another gay couple and deepen existing queer arcs signals a continued commitment to inclusive storytelling within a genre long dominated by straight narratives. For LGBTQ+ audiences, especially those who are fans of ice hockey or other professional sports, the series’ expansion offers further space to see complex, romantic, and emotionally rich queer characters on and off the ice.