More Shane and Ilya? 'Heated Rivalry' EP teases a bonus episode ahead of Season 2
'Heated Rivalry' might not be done flirting with viewers just yet. The steamy LGBTQ+ sports romance wrapped up its first season last December. Since then, fans have been replaying favorite scenes, rereading Rachel Reid's 'Game Changers' novels, and wondering how long the gap will last before Season 2 finally arrives. Turns out, the people behind the scenes are thinking about that, too, and they might have a small surprise in mind. Justin Stockman, an executive producer on 'Heated Rivalry' and vice president of content development at Bell Media, recently shared with the Toronto Star that the idea of a standalone bonus episode is very much on the table.
In his words, "We're going to see what's feasible. If [creator Jacob Tierney] can find a way to make the source material work in a way that gets us something sooner or something special, I'm sure he will. I would love to have this back for the holidays next year, but that likely is not going to happen. We can't rush the process. We won't be able to repeat the magic if we push him." That last line alone says a lot about how carefully the team is treating the show. The series, which aired on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US and Australia, is based on Reid's beloved book series.
It's about a complicated, passionate relationship between hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Season 1 closed with Shane and Ilya at a peaceful cottage, finally choosing to be honest with each other and commit to their relationship—a big step. Then there was Scott Hunter coming out in front of the entire world by kissing his boyfriend, Kip. The words "boyfriend" were spoken. Loudly. Still, longtime readers of Reid's novel know the show stopped short of adapting everything from the first book. The series finale didn't reach the very end of 'Heated Rivalry', leaving certain scenes untouched.
One of them is a part of the prologue that takes place after Shane and Ilya are officially together. That missing section just happens to include a dinner scene. That dinner, set after the couple has gone public, brings Shane and Ilya together with Shane's best friend Hayden Pike and Hayden's wife, Jackie. It can offer fans a chance to see how Shane and Ilya function when the relationship isn't hidden. In other words, it's exactly the kind of content that could work beautifully as a one-off episode. And it wouldn't require massive arenas or complicated scheduling.
Because the scene takes place in a contained setting, a bonus episode could potentially be filmed with a limited cast and minimal locations. That practicality is likely part of what makes the idea so tempting right now. As it stands, there's no official greenlight, according to ScreenRant. No script announcement. No confirmed production window. But the fact that Stockman is openly talking about it at all feels meaningful, especially since Season 2 isn't expected to begin filming until the summer or fall of 2026.
