In the realm of hockey romance, new additions are creating a buzz once again. Crave’s series, “Heated Rivalry,” will welcome five fresh faces to its cast.

Emily Hampshire, a renowned Canadian actress famous for her roles in “Schitt’s Creek” and “12 Monkeys,” will portray Vanessa, a character working at a sex shop. Joining her are Sabrina Jalees, a Canadian comedian and actress taking on the role of sports agent Farah Jalali, and Priyanka, the winner of the inaugural season of “Canada’s Drag Race,” playing the character Tarek, an office assistant.

The lineup also includes Robert Naylor, a Canadian actor and musician known for voicing D.W. Read in the animated series “Arthur,” as goaltender Wyatt Hayes, and Edvin Ryding, a Swedish actor recognized for his performance as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s “Young Royals,” as rookie hockey player Luca Haas.

The casting announcement was officially made on Instagram by Crave. Season two of “Heated Rivalry” will continue the love story of hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, based on the sixth novel of Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series, “The Long Game.”

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will reprise their lead roles in the television adaptation. Season one of the show covered the first two books of Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.”

With the new casting revelations, it is anticipated that the third book in the series, “Tough Guy,” will also be brought to life on screen. Characters Vanessa and Tarek are connected to Fabian Salah, the romantic interest of hockey player Ryan Price in “Tough Guy.”

Furthermore, the upcoming season will incorporate storylines from the fifth novel, “Role Model,” featuring Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s new team, and Harris Dover, a social media manager.

Justice Smith has been cast as Harris, and Charlie Gillespie, known for his role in “Julie and the Phantoms,” will play Troy. The premiere of season two of “Heated Rivalry” is scheduled for spring 2027.