Will there be a season two of hit gay hockey drama Heated Rivalry? Here’s what the director says

Jacob Tierney, the writer and showrunner of Heated Rivalry has said the chance of the show getting picked up for a second season “looks good.”

The Canadian-made series starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie about two rival hockey players – Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov respectively – who engage in a hot and steamy affair has taken the world by storm since it debuted on 28 November.

And that’s despite the fact it’s only available in Canada, the US, and Australia: sadly, the series has no current plans to be streamed in the UK.

Social media feeds have been filled with images and clips from the show, showcasing what appears to be an almost-universal love for the cast and characters.

And now the show’s creator is sure to send enthusiasm sky-high after discussing the potential for a second season.

Speaking to Evan Ross Katz, Tierney said “we did not expect this level of reaction to this show.” He also said, “I thought by the end maybe we’d have a cult following.”

Discussing the show Letterkenny that he worked on previously the showrunner said he was used to “a slow burn,” with that show taking four seasons to find its audience.

“This has been the complete opposite,” he remarked of Heated Rivalry. He then said, “I can tell you there’s a lot of enthusiasm to do another season and I think it looks good, but I can’t announce anything.”

There’s certainly a lot of enthusiasm from fans, but it’s great to hear there’s enthusiasm from decision makers too.

To that Tierney added, “It’s definitely not going unnoticed that the show is doing well and that people seem to be responding to it. And there’s a sequel book, right?”

Heated Rivalry is just one of Rachel Reid’s novel series, Game Changers, with other books focusing on other characters. So, there’s plenty of room for the world of Heated Rivalry to expand.

Tierney has also stood by his actors in the face of questions into their personal lives. While speaking to Xtra he intervened when Williams and Storrie were asked about their sexuality in relation to the ongoing debate about queer actors playing queer roles.

“I’ll answer this for them. I don’t think there’s any reason to get into that stuff,” he said. “I’ll tell you something about the casting of both of these roles. You can’t ask questions like that when you’re casting, right? It’s actually against the law.”

He continued, “So what you have to gauge is somebody’s enthusiasm and willingness to do the work.

“And that’s what’s so impressive about both of these guys is they came into this being like, ‘Yeah, we’re here to do this, and we are here to make this story feel authentic and to be as real as possible.’ And they f****** hit it out of the park.”

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