Skip to content

Cameron Whitcomb: An Unfiltered Voice for a New Generation

Search

'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 Begins Filming, but Jacob Tierney Has a Request for Fans

The Canadian hockey romance phenomenon is back in production, with its creators navigating the challenges of newfound global fame.

'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 Begins Filming, but Jacob Tierney Has a Request for Fans
Sabrina Lantos/HBO
Guglielmo Scrittore
By Guglielmo ScrittoreAug 06, 2026
Guglielmo Scrittore
See Full Bio

The wait for more Shane and Ilya is officially underway. As production begins on the second season of Heated Rivalry, showrunner Jacob Tierney is asking the series’ passionate fanbase to give the cast and crew the room they need to bring the next chapter of the hockey romance to life.

In a recent Instagram post, Tierney acknowledged the excitement surrounding the show’s return while encouraging fans to respect filming locations and the people working behind the scenes.

“As we gear up for more Heated Rivalry, please help us in making it the best it can be,” Tierney wrote. “If you happen to come across one of our filming locations, please give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they do best.”

The request comes as anticipation for Season 2 reaches new heights. Lead actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who play rival hockey stars Shane and Ilya, have already been spotted in Toronto, where portions of the upcoming season are being filmed. Production will also return to Montréal, Tierney's hometown and home of the fictional Montreal Metros, the hockey franchise where Shane Hollander built his reputation before his career took him elsewhere.

Based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels, Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave before becoming an unexpected international hit following its release on HBO Max. What began as a Canadian sports romance quickly turned into a global phenomenon, introducing Williams and Storrie to a devoted audience that has followed both the fictional relationship and the actors themselves with intense interest.

That attention has occasionally created challenges for the cast, as actors have previously addressed concerns about fans who have crossed personal boundaries. Tierney’s message is a reminder that enthusiasm for the series should not come at the expense of the people creating it.

Season 2, due out next Spring, will continue the story of Shane and Ilya as they navigate the pressures of professional hockey, public expectations and their evolving relationship.

Most Popular

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts Announce New Album 'Second Song'
Music

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts Announce New Album 'Second Song'

Why Is Everyone Convinced Tate McRae Is MAGA?
Music

Why Is Everyone Convinced Tate McRae Is MAGA?

The Rise and Fall of the QAnon Queen of Canada
(Sub) Culture

The Rise and Fall of the QAnon Queen of Canada

Lindsey Buckingham’s Alleged Stalker Ruled ‘Not Trial Competent’ After Mental Health Exam
Music

Lindsey Buckingham’s Alleged Stalker Ruled ‘Not Trial Competent’ After Mental Health Exam

John Madden Movie Starring Nicolas Cage as Football Coach Sets Release Date
TV & Movies

John Madden Movie Starring Nicolas Cage as Football Coach Sets Release Date

More Stories

Billie Eilish Begins Filming in Toronto for 'The Bell Jar' Adaptation
Photo via Toronto Filming on X

Billie Eilish Begins Filming in Toronto for 'The Bell Jar' Adaptation

Billie Eilish is trading the recording studio for a Toronto film set as production begins on The Bell Jar, Sarah Polley’s upcoming adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s landmark novel. The first images of the singer in character have now surfaced online, offering the first glimpse of Eilish as Esther Greenwood, the young writer at the centre of Plath’s acclaimed 1963 story.

Shot in and around Toronto, the production has transformed parts of the city and surrounding region into a 1950s American landscape. Reports on Reddit and elsewhere have placed filming at locations including Kensington Market, where streets were redesigned with vintage vehicles and period details, as well as downtown Toronto and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Keep ReadingShow less
George R.R. Martin ‘Battled Sadness and Depression’ Over the Past ‘Stressful’ Year

George R.R. Martin.

Christoph Soeder/picture alliance/Getty Images

George R.R. Martin ‘Battled Sadness and Depression’ Over the Past ‘Stressful’ Year

George R.R. Martin’s first piece of published writing in some time will not please fans hungry for a new volume in the author’s A Song of Ice and Fire series — but it will somewhat explain the latest stumbling block in the 15 years since A Dance With Dragons came out. In a new blog, the author, 77, acknowledged that he had not published himself since February and went on to describe a year beset by challenges.

“This year has been… stressful, to say the least,” he wrote. While he experienced great and even “exciting” things, including “dreams coming true,” he wrote that proverbial nightmares had also haunted him. “I have lost friends,” he wrote. “Battled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come. I turned 77 last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun. But there have been amazing times as well.

Keep ReadingShow less
5 Things You Should Know About David Jonsson, the New Black Panther

Ryan Coogler officially announced that David Jonsson will take on the role of the new Black Panther.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

5 Things You Should Know About David Jonsson, the New Black Panther

The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Black Panther franchise have entered a new era. During this year’s Comic-Con, Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler officially announced that David Jonsson will take on the role of the new Black Panther.

Now, years after Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing and the box office hit film’s sequel, Wakanda Forever, Jonsson will step into the role of Prince T’Challa II and carry on Boseman’s legacy and performance as the Black Panther. Coogler reportedly met with Jonsson in secret following the awards campaign for Sinners. According to Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige, Coogler immediately knew Jonsson was the right actor for the role.

Keep ReadingShow less
George and Amal Clooney Forced to Evacuate Home in France Amid Wildfires

George and Amal Clooney

Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

George and Amal Clooney Forced to Evacuate Home in France Amid Wildfires

George and Amal Clooney have evacuated their home in France amid the ongoing wildfires. The couple and their nine-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, currently live in the town of Brignoles in southeastern France, one of multiple regions in Europe where fires are spreading.

The Clooneys confirmed their evacuation in a letter to Brignoles mayor Didier Brémond. “At this point we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment,” they wrote, according to People. “As we evacuate Brignoles we want to emphasize two things, first we hope you and the people of our city are safe and second that Amal and I are committed to making sure that whatever happens to our village, we are part of this community and we’ll be part of making it whole. We love Brignoles and our friends who live there.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Jared Leto Accused of Criminal Sexual Conduct by Four Women in BBC Documentary

Jared Leto

Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage

Jared Leto Accused of Criminal Sexual Conduct by Four Women in BBC Documentary

Four women have accused Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct. The allegations, which took place when the women were teenagers, were recounted in a new BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, which aired Wednesday.

One of the women said she was sexually assaulted by Leto in a motel bathroom when she was 17. Another, then 19, said Leto threatened her with sexual assault after being left alone with him in a hotel room. A third woman claims she had underage sex with Leto in California when she was 17, which would be classified as statutory rape in the state. The fourth woman claimed she was groomed by Leto and accused him of abusing his celebrity status by making repeated sexually explicit phone calls to her when she was 16. (Reps for Leto did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Leto did not respond to “repeated attempts” by the BBC to contact him.)

Keep ReadingShow less