‘Heated Rivalry’ scores season 2 pickup

Fans will officially be getting more of Shane and Ilya’s love story. The steamy hockey romance Heated Rivalry has scored a season 2.

Canadian streaming service Crave announced the news Friday, with HBO Max committing to streaming rights in the U.S. for a second season.

“Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary,” show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady say in a statement. “We’re profoundly grateful to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honour, and we can’t wait to bring you even more of what you love.”

The series, based on the popular novels by Rachel Reid, became Crave’s #1 original series debut on record in the first seven day streams. It’s also made instant stars of its two leads, Connor Storrie as brash Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov, and Hudson Williams as Ilya’s reserved Canadian rival Shane Hollander.

While season 1 focuses on the events of the Heated Rivalry novel, season 2 will follow its sequel, The Long Game.

“I would say that The Long Game in terms of their intimacy picks up where we leave off in season 1,” Williams tells ABC Audio. “I think having that relationship to kind of stand on and then go against what they face in The Long Game, for those who have read it, is gonna be really beautiful ‘cause our adversity is a way different one than season 1.”

Storrie adds, “Very selfishly, there’s just even more really emotionally intense stuff [with Ilya] that happens. … I’m like, ‘Let’s get into the valleys. Let’s get sad for a bit.’”

For readers of The Long Game, Tierney has a particular scene he’s most excited for: “I just want the wedding with Hayden’s kids,” he says. 

The first four episodes of the six-episode first season are out now.

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