“Heated Rivalry” has found its newest couple. Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have joined the Crave/HBO Max hockey romance series as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, the leads from Rachel Reid’s novel Role Model. Production on the second season began this week in Canada, with a premiere date set for spring 2027.
Smith, known for I Saw the TV Glow and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, will play Harris, the Ottawa Centaurs’ social media manager. Gillespie, who starred in Julie and the Phantoms and One Night Only, takes on the role of Troy, a troubled hockey player traded to the Centaurs. In the books, Harris and Troy form an unlikely connection; Harris is warm and outspoken, while Troy is guarded and carrying the weight of a recent scandal.
Producers Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady praised the casting: “From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together. Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters”. Season 2 will continue Shane and Ilya’s story from The Long Game while introducing Harris and Troy, expanding the series’ interconnected hockey universe.
