The world of Heated Rivalry is getting even bigger and we’re really excited for this one.
Charlie Gillespie and Justice Smith have officially joined the cast of the hit queer hockey romance for season two, bringing two fan-favorite characters from Rachel Reid’s beloved Game Changers book series to the screen.
Gillespie will play Troy Barrett, a professional hockey player who joins the Ottawa Centaurs after being traded to the team, while Smith will play Harris Drover, the Centaurs’ social media manager. Their romance is at the heart of Reid’s fifth novel, Role Model, which will be incorporated into the show’s sophomore season alongside The Long Game.
Harris and Troy Join the Ice
According to the creative team, finding the right actors to portray Harris and Troy was a top priority.
“Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can’t help but root for,” showrunner Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a statement.
They added that Gillespie and Smith immediately connected with the emotional core of the characters, praising the pair for bringing “vulnerability and resilience” to their performances.
The addition of Harris and Troy expands the world of Heated Rivalry beyond Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, giving fans another beloved queer romance from Reid’s bestselling novels to follow.
Safe to say, the fans are going crazy over this announcement.
Shane and Ilya’s Story Continues
Season two will continue adapting The Long Game, which follows Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) as they navigate life in a committed relationship while keeping their romance hidden from the public eye.
The first season ended with Ilya making the life-changing decision to leave his longtime team and join the Ottawa Centaurs so he could be closer to Shane, setting the stage for the next chapter of their love story.
Because Role Model takes place during the same timeline as The Long Game, Harris and Troy’s relationship naturally weaves into the ongoing story, allowing multiple couples from Reid’s Game Changers universe to coexist on screen.
A Breakout Queer Hit
Premiering in late 2025, Heated Rivalry quickly became one of the biggest queer television success stories of the year. The series turned relative newcomers Williams and Storrie into breakout stars.
The series was renewed for a second season before its first had even finished airing. Production on the new episodes is currently underway, with a spring 2027 premiere currently planned. HBO Max will once again stream the series internationally.
