Two fresh faces have been revealed as new additions to Season 2 of Crave’s popular hockey series, “Heated Rivalry.” Daniel Diemer, a Canadian actor recognized for his role as Tyson in the TV series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” will take on the character of hockey player Ryan Price. Meanwhile, Welsh actor Shaheen Jafargholi, who will also appear in the HBO series “War,” has been cast as musician Fabian Salah, the love interest of Ryan.

The duo portrays the central figures in the third installment of Rachel Reid’s acclaimed hockey romance series, “Game Changers,” titled “Tough Guy.” The narrative revolves around professional hockey enforcer Ryan, who, upon joining the Toronto team, encounters Fabian in the city’s gay village. Rekindling a past almost-kiss from high school, their undeniable chemistry resurfaces, raising questions about their future together and the potential sacrifice of Ryan’s career in hockey.

In a press statement, writer Jacob Tierney and producer Brendan Brady expressed their excitement for the distinctive energies that Diemer and Jafargholi bring to Reid’s world. They praised the actors for embodying the bold, complex, and compelling traits of their characters, Fabian and Ryan, and eagerly anticipate the audience’s response to their performances.

The inaugural season of the series adapted the first two books in Reid’s series, “Game Changer” and “Heated Rivalry.” Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry” will continue to follow the evolving relationship between hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, characters from Reid’s novel “The Long Game,” portrayed by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively.

Additionally, the upcoming season will integrate the storylines of Troy Barrett, a hockey player traded to Ilya’s new team, and Harris Dover, a social media manager, from the fifth novel in the book series, “Role Model.” New cast members, including Justice Smith as Harris and Charlie Gillespie as Troy, have been announced by Crave.

Moreover, the ensemble for Season 2 includes Emily Hampshire from “Schitt’s Creek” and drag queen Priyanka. The highly anticipated second season of “Heated Rivalry” is set to debut in the spring of 2027.