Robert Naylor is now Wyatt Hayes in Vanessa heated rivalry, and the Season 2 cast has grown by five. Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka join Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, while Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie are also set to appear.
Wyatt Hayes Takes Shape
The new casting fills in one of the book’s more specific roles: Wyatt Hayes is the starting goaltender for the Ottawa Centaurs in Rachel Reid’s books. Putting Naylor into that slot gives Heated Rivalry a named piece of the ensemble as the series moves further into Book 6, The Long Game, after Season 1 adapted Book 2 and drew from Book 1.
Emily Hampshire will play Vanessa, Edvin Ryding will play Luca Haas, Sabrina Jalees will play Farah Jalali, and Priyanka will portray Tarek. That is the clearest sign yet that Season 2 is not simply extending Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s run; it is widening the story around them with new characters and a new couple from Role Model.
Season 2 Carries Four Returns
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are back as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, with Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie also appearing in the new season. The setup keeps the core pairing in place while adding four more names around them, which is the kind of ensemble shift that usually signals a broader story load rather than a straight continuation.
Jacob Tierney has said Season 2 will keep Shane and Ilya’s story moving while also taking on Role Model. That creates the season’s practical complication: it has to service a returning central couple and introduce fresh parts without breaking the momentum that made the first season work.
Spring 2027 on HBO Max
Season 2 is set to premiere in spring 2027 on HBO Max in the U.S., Australia, Europe, Latin America and Asia. For viewers, that means the casting is not just fan-facing housekeeping; it is the clearest production signal that the next chapter is already being assembled for a multi-territory launch.
The useful read here is simple: Heated Rivalry is building out the cast before the return date arrives, and Naylor’s Wyatt Hayes gives the season a defined hockey-side presence alongside Vanessa, Luca Haas, Farah Jalali and Tarek. If you want the cleanest takeaway, it is that Season 2 is moving from a two-character rivalry into a larger ensemble story without losing the center of gravity.
