TORONTO — “Heated Rivalry” has its new heartthrobs. Crave says Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have been cast as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, the couple at the centre of the fifth book in the “Game Changer” series on which the TV show is based. Crave says Smith and Gillespie join the cast in “leading roles” for the second season on the smash-hit romance series. The streamer says the season will focus on two couples — Shane and Ilya, portrayed by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who starred in the first season, and Harris and Troy, who feature in the book “Role Model.” Smith, a Los Angeles native who starred in “I Saw the TV Glow” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” will portray Harris, who in the books is the Ottawa hockey team’s social media manager. Gillespie, who was born in New Brunswick and stars in the rom-com “One Night Only,” has been tapped to play Troy, a forward on the team. Crave says the season, which started filming this week, will debut in Spring 2027. In a statement posted to Instagram, Tierney urged fans who come across any of the show’s filming locations to “give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they do best.” “We promise it’ll be worth the wait!” it reads. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2026. Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press Heated Rivalry is a Crave original series. Crave, CTV News and CP24 are owned by Bell Media, which is a subsidiary of BCE Inc.
