Heated Rivalry Season 2 Casts Six New Stars, Including Letterkenny Alum Michelle Mylett

Key points

• Six new actors have joined Heated Rivalry Season 2: Brendan Morgan, David Tomlinson, Gerry Dee, Michelle Mylett, Lauren Chan, and Nick Stahl.
• The season is currently in production and is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max in the spring of 2027.
• Jacob Tierney serves as writer, director, and executive producer, with Mike Goldbach joining as co-writer for the second season.
• The casting includes reunions for Tierney with Gerry Dee, Michelle Mylett, and Nick Stahl, all of whom have worked with him previously.
• The series is commissioned by Bell Media's Crave with participation from the Canada Media Fund and is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment.

Background

Heated Rivalry, based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series, premiered in November 2025 and quickly gained popularity. The first season focused on the relationship between rival hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Previous casting announcements for Season 2 included Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie as new leads, as well as Daniel Diemer and Shaheen Jafargholi. The series has been distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus and is available in over 130 countries.

How outlets are covering it

Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter all reported the same six casting additions on September 16, 2026. Variety and Deadline emphasized the reunions between creator Jacob Tierney and actors Gerry Dee, Michelle Mylett, and Nick Stahl. The Hollywood Reporter provided additional context on the character roles, noting that David Tomlinson's character Cody Kent is a renamed version of Dallas Kent from the books, and that the season will adapt multiple novels including The Long Game and Role Model. All three outlets confirmed the spring 2027 premiere date and the involvement of Crave and HBO Max.

Why it matters

The expansion of the cast signals a significant increase in scope for Heated Rivalry's second season, moving beyond the central romance of Shane and Ilya to include multiple new relationships and professional dynamics. The inclusion of established Canadian actors like Gerry Dee and Michelle Mylett, along with international stars like Milla Jovovich (previously announced), suggests the series is aiming for a broader audience while maintaining its Canadian roots. The simultaneous adaptation of multiple novels indicates a more complex narrative structure for the second season.

What to watch

Production for Heated Rivalry Season 2 is currently underway, with filming expected to continue through the fall of 2026. The series is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max in the spring of 2027. Additional casting announcements may follow as the production progresses. Rachel Reid is also set to release a seventh Game Changers novel, Unrivaled, in June 2027, which may inform future seasons.