Heated Rivalry season 2 to show Shane Hollander coming out to hockey teammates
“Spoiler for season 2: I’m going to have to do Shane coming out to his team," said creator Jacob Tierney
By Aaron Sugg
Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney has revealed that season two of the gay romance series will depict Shane Hollander coming out to his hockey teammates.
Following the huge success of the first series starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, the pair were confirmed to reprise their roles in a second season, announced on social media on 12 December 2025.
Although a release date has not yet been confirmed, Tierney has teased what fans can expect from the highly anticipated follow-up.
“I’m going to have to do Shane coming out to his team” – Jacob Tierney giving a Heated Rivalry spoiler
In conversation with the LoonCallPod Podcast, the showrunner revealed a season two spoiler, describing how Williams’s character Shane comes out to his Montreal team.
Tierney spoke about the creative process, citing inspiration from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel series: “Spoiler for season 2: I’m going to have to do Shane coming out to his team. I can’t do that offscreen. That’s not how TV works, you know?”
“I can’t have somebody tell you about something that important that happened. You have to see it. You have to experience it yourself,” he continued.
The two leading actors have also teased what fans can expect from the second season, describing it as “hotter, wetter and longer.”
“If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret” – Rachel Reid’s The Long Game novel book synopsis reads
Heated Rivalry season two will be inspired by Rachel Reid’s The Long Game novel, and according to the book’s official synopsis, viewers can expect to revisit Shane and Ilya after ten years of navigating a secret long-term relationship.
The author’s website reads: “They’ve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family… from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. Ilya is sick of secrets.”
“Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship… Ilya wants it all.”
Heated Rivalry season 2 is set to introduce a new gay couple
As well as Storrie and Williams, season one actors François Arnaud as Scott Hunter and Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady will also return.
In another teaser, Reid revealed that Heated Rivalry season two will introduce a new gay couple, telling Variety: “Obviously, the focus has to stay on Ilya and Shane… We’re not going to do Season 2 and it’s a totally different couple. It wouldn’t be very popular.”
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