The Heated Rivalry hype is officially heating up, and Kevin Zegers is giving fans a little behind-the-scenes look at what fans can expect when the hit queer hockey romance returns for Season 2 next year.
While walking the red carpet at UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday (Sept. 19), Zegers caught up with Celeb Secrets to talk about joining the fan-favorite series, which became one of the biggest word-of-mouth TV sensations following its U.S. debut on HBO Max.
For Zegers, the timing has meant jumping between two very different projects. The actor, who currently stars in Paramount+’s The Madison, has spent the last two months in Canada filming Heated Rivalry, where he plays Coach Brandon Wiebe, the former professional hockey player and rookie head coach of the Ottawa Centaurs — the team Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) plays for.
“Yeah, it’s been great. We’ve filmed a bunch already,” Zegers told Celeb Secrets exclusively. “It’s crazy with doing The Madison and then two very different shows. But, um, it’s been fantastic.”
The actor said the experience has also meant plenty of time north of the border, with Zegers flying back and forth between Canada and Los Angeles to see his kids while filming.
“I’ve been up in Canada for the last two months, give or take, flying back and forth to see my kids, but everyone’s great,” he shared.
And despite Heated Rivalry becoming a massive global hit, Zegers said there’s something surprisingly intimate about the way the series is made — especially compared to the size of the audience waiting for it.
“It feels like a small show. I mean, it’s obviously a big show, but the set, like how they shoot, feels like a little independent movie,” he explained. “There’s only maybe 40 people on set, so it feels like a little Canadian show still.”
That smaller, intimate environment has clearly been part of the fun for Zegers, who is also reuniting with Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney.
“So, getting to work with my friend Jacob again, and then Connor, who I know a little bit, has been, yeah, it’s been awesome,” he said.
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Zegers joins Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who are returning as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, respectively, as well as a growing cast that includes previously announced Season 2 additions Milla Jovovich and Paul Gross, plus Robert Naylor, Sophie Nélisse, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Edvin Ryding, François Arnaud, Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Robbie G.K., Callan Potter, Benjamin Roy, Kamilla Kowal, Emily Hampshire, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka.
According to reports, Season 2 will primarily draw from Rachel Reid’s sixth Game Changers novel, The Long Game, picking up with Shane and Ilya after a decade of secretly seeing each other. Elements from book 3 (Tough Guy) and book 5 (Role Model) will also factor into the upcoming season. With Ilya ready to take their relationship public and Shane concerned about what that could mean for their careers, the next chapter is set to bring a whole new set of challenges for the pair.
Filming is still well underway and Season 2 is expected to arrive on HBO Max in spring 2027.
With reporting by Briana Fahy.
