'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 adds Kevin Zegers and 'Resident Evil' star to its stacked cast
‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 has added more names to its cast, with ‘Resident Evil’ star Milla Jovovich joining the romance drama. Jovovich will play Dr. Galina Molchalina, a Russian therapist who treats Ilya Rozanov as he deals with depression and anxiety. The new casting adds more star power to the series with Kevin Zegers and Paul Gross. Zegers will play Coach Wiebe, Ilya’s coach with the Ottawa Centaurs, while Gross will portray Commissioner Roger Crowell, the head of the National Hockey League and a major villain from Rachel Reid’s ‘Game Changers’ books.
Ilya’s move to the Ottawa Centaurs plays a key role in the next chapter. He leaves the Boston Raiders to be closer to Shane Hollander as the pair continues their secret relationship. Shane fears the impact of coming out, while Ilya faces his own mental health struggles. Jovovich will play Galina, the therapist Ilya sees while dealing with depression and anxiety. The actress is best known for playing Alice in the ‘Resident Evil’ movie franchise and for starring in ‘The Fifth Element.’
Zegers’ Coach Wiebe will be Ilya’s coach with the Ottawa Centaurs, while Gross’ Commissioner Crowell represents a larger threat to players who want to live openly. Crowell often pressures, and sometimes threatens, players to stay in the closet or targets those who speak out on social issues.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will return as Shane and Ilya. Francois Arnaud and Robbie G.K. are also back as Scott Hunter and Kip Grady, known by fans as the “Skip” couple. Sophie Nelisse returns as Rose Landry, with Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova reprising her role as Svetlana. Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh will again play Shane’s parents, Yuna and David. Callan Potter and Benjamin Roy return as Montreal teammates Hayden and JJ, while Kamilla Kowal reprises her role as Hayden’s wife, Jackie.
Season 2 will adapt parts of ‘The Long Game’ and ‘Role Model,’ two books from Reid’s ‘Game Changers’ series. The show will also incorporate elements from other books in the collection, including ‘Tough Guy.’ The new season adds another romance alongside Shane and Ilya’s story.
Troy Barrett, a troubled hockey player traded to the Centaurs, develops feelings for Harris Drover, the team’s social media manager. Charlie Gillespie plays Troy, while Justice Smith plays Harris. Other new Season 2 cast members include Daniel Diemer as Ryan Price, Shaheen Jafargholi as Fabian Salah, Emily Hampshire as Vanessa, Edvin Ryding as Luca Haas, Robert Naylor as Wyatt Hayes, Priyanka as Tarek, and Sabrina Jalees as Farah.
‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 is currently filming in Canada and is scheduled to premiere in spring 2027. Crave will carry the series in Canada, while HBO Max will release it in the United States and several other territories. The season will expand the show’s hockey world with new players, team staff and league figures while pushing Shane and Ilya into a new stage of their relationship as their private lives collide with their careers and public identities.x
