Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have joined the cast of season two of Heated Rivalry, according to E! News. They will appear alongside stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie in the Crave Original hockey romance series.
Smith is set to play Harris Drover, an outgoing social media manager, while Gillespie will portray Troy Barrett, a new member of the Ottawa Centaurs who is still closeted. Their relationship is central to Role Model, the fifth book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, which helps inspire the show.
Show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a statement to Deadline on Aug. 7 that the characters of Harris and Troy are “beautifully layered” and that they were looking for actors who could bring depth and heart to the roles. They said Smith and Gillespie immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience in the characters.
Season two of Heated Rivalry is based on Reid’s novel The Long Game, which follows Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander nearly two years after the events of Heated Rivalry. Tierney also asked fans to give the production space while filming continues, with the season expected to arrive in spring 2027.
