Jacob Tierney isn't interested in dousing the flames of passion that have ignited in "Heated Rivalry." With the second season on the horizon, the creator of the Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie-led series shared new insights into the upcoming installment, including his reasons for not rushing the process amidst the fervor on social media.
"While I appreciate the fervor and interest people have shown, the first season succeeded because I trusted my instincts," Jacob, 46, told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published on February 3. "And I'm going to do that again."
The director confirmed that the next chapter of the show—which is largely centered around "The Long Game," the sixth book in Rachel Reid's "Game Changers" series—will premiere in spring 2027. As for how much of the book, which follows hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov as they navigate their secret relationship, will appear in season two? Jacob remained tight-lipped. However, he emphasized that he has no intention of deviating from the six-episode format of season one.
"I don't need ten episodes," he explained. "I would always prefer to tighten the belt rather than go loosey-goosey. I would rather see how much story we can pack into these episodes."
In fact, his production partner Brendan Brady is fully on board with this sentiment. "We want everyone to be left yearning," he added in the interview. "That's what everyone loves about this show. Less is more!"
While Ilya and Shane remain at the center of "Heated Rivalry," other heartthrobs from Reid's hockey universe—beyond Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.)—will definitely be hitting the ice for their own shifts.
"Just like you can't tell the story without Scott Hunter, you can't really tell the story without Troy Barrett," he said, before adding the one trait he wants to keep constant in the cast. "We need Canadian talent, and we love Canadian talent. It's not a burden, but it's also something we literally have to do to secure our financing."
While fans have to wait a bit longer to see more of "Heated Rivalry," Rachel is delivering a final chapter in Ilya and Shane's love story with her novel "Unrivaled."
"I'm writing this one for all the Hollanov fans, old and new," the author said in January. "I can't tell you how much the love my characters have received over the years means to me. It has been a blast writing these guys again and revisiting the entire 'Game Changers' cast."
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