Heated Rivalry Season 2 Adds Ryan and Fabian as LGBTQ+ Drama Expands

Heated Rivalry is expanding its cast for Season 2, with Daniel Diemer and Shaheen Jafargholi officially joining the hit LGBTQ+ hockey romance as Ryan Price and Fabian Salah.

The pair join returning stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who will be back as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, alongside previously announced new cast members Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie.

Ryan and Fabian will already be familiar to readers of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels. They are the central couple in Tough Guy, the third book in the series, while Heated Rivalry Season 2 will primarily draw from the sixth book, The Long Game, which continues Shane and Ilya’s relationship.

Crave and HBO Max have not yet released official television character descriptions for Ryan and Fabian. In the books, Ryan is a Canadian hockey player who struggles with anxiety and body image issues, while Fabian is a Lebanese Canadian indie musician who is openly gay.

Daniel is known for Netflix film The Half of It and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Shaheen’s recent television credits include The Agency, while UK viewers may also recognise him from the BBC LGBTQ+ drama Lost Boys and Fairies.

The pair are part of a growing Season 2 cast. Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka have also been announced, alongside Justice and Charlie.

The additions suggest Heated Rivalry is beginning to explore more of the wider Game Changers world while keeping Shane and Ilya at the centre of the series.

Created by Jacob Tierney, Heated Rivalry became a major international success following its first season. The romantic drama follows rival professional hockey players Shane and Ilya as their relationship develops away from the public rivalry surrounding their careers.

Season 2 will continue their story through material from The Long Game, while the arrival of characters including Ryan and Fabian opens the door for more of Rachel Reid’s LGBTQ+ relationships to appear on screen.

The second season is currently scheduled to premiere in Spring 2027. Sky has confirmed that Heated Rivalry will return to Sky and NOW in the UK, where the complete six episode first season is already available to watch.

With Ryan and Fabian now officially joining the television adaptation, Heated Rivalry is becoming much more than the story of one couple, bringing more characters from Rachel Reid’s LGBTQ+ hockey universe onto screen as the series heads into its second season.

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