Two fresh faces have been revealed as additions to the cast of Season 2 of Crave’s popular hockey drama series, “Heated Rivalry.” Daniel Diemer, a Canadian actor recognized for his role as Tyson in the TV series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” will take on the character of hockey player Ryan Price. Welsh actor Shaheen Jafargholi is set to portray Ryan’s love interest, musician Fabian Salah, who will also appear in the HBO show “War.”
The duo of Ryan and Fabian are the central figures in the third installment of Rachel Reid’s best-selling “Game Changers” hockey romance series called “Tough Guy.” The narrative follows professional hockey enforcer Ryan as he joins the Toronto team and encounters Fabian, an aspiring musician he almost kissed in high school. Despite the passage of time, their undeniable chemistry reignites, but a potential future together may require Ryan to bid farewell to his hockey career.
In a press release, writer Jacob Tierney and producer Brendan Brady praised the unique energies Daniel and Shaheen bring to Rachel Reid’s world. They emphasized the bold, complex, and compelling nature of the characters of Fabian and Ryan, highlighting the importance of finding actors who could embody all facets of these roles. Season 1 of the series adapted the first two books of Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.”
The upcoming Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry” will continue to follow the love story of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, former hockey rivals turned lovers, from Reid’s novel “The Long Game,” with Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie reprising their lead roles. Additionally, the new season will incorporate the narratives of Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s team, and Harris Dover, a social media manager, from the fifth novel, “Role Model.”
The announcement of the Season 2 cast sparked some criticism regarding body diversity from fans, with Justice Smith cast as Harris and Charlie Gillespie from “Julie and the Phantoms” cast as Troy. Notable new cast members also include Emily Hampshire from “Schitt’s Creek” and drag queen Priyanka. The highly anticipated Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry” is scheduled to premiere in the spring of 2027.