Filming has begun on the second season of Heated Rivalry, which is expected to adapt Rachel Reid’s sequel The Long Game and move the series beyond its original focus on Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. The article argues that, while the central couple will remain important, introducing and developing another relationship could shift the show away from the tightly focused formula that made its first season successful.

Set about three years after the first season, Shane and Ilya are now in a committed but still secret relationship as they enter their eleventh NHL season. The story may include their Irina Foundation, created in memory of Ilya’s mother, which lets them appear together publicly; however, their differing feelings about coming out remain a central source of tension. Season 2 is also expected to establish a couple from the fifth Game Changers book.