Heated Rivalry Season 2 Brings Back Iconic Set As Filming Continues

Published Aug 29, 2026, 2:16 PM EDT

Written and directed by Jacob Tierney and based on the book series by Rachel Reid, the hit Canadian sports romance series premiered last year, chronicling the love story between two rival hockey stars. Heated Rivalry season 2 is now confirmed to be in production with an expected release next spring.

Many questions remain about Heated Rivalry's sophomore outing, but it has now seemingly be confirmed that the new episodes will feature the return of the iconic cabin location from season 1. The news comes from the real-life owner of the cabin, Michael Kutryk, who tells HGTV in a new interview that the production got in touch about using the location again for filming:

“I did a little bit of soul searching about allowing them to come back. I know they need it, and I realize I [could] be difficult and try to squeeze them, but I [couldn't] bring myself to do that. When they called, they said, ‘How much do you want?’ First, I told them they scratched my table, then I named a very reasonable price. They were shocked and appreciative. I actually didn’t even get them to replace my table.”

The cabin, located in the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada, emerged alongside lead actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as a star of the show. The location features prominently in the series, and the Heated Rivlary season 1 finale is even titled "The Cottage."

Filming for Heated Rivalry season 2 got underway on August 10 and is expected to continue through to early December. In addition to Muskoka, the series is expected to film in areas around Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

Though season 1 consists of 6 episodes, it's unclear how many episodes will be in season 2. Actor Dylan Walsh, who plays David Hollander, recently revealed that he was returning to film 12 episodes in a Cameo video, but that conflicts with comments from Tierney, who has reinforced his commitment to 6-episode seasons. Walsh's comment, then, could hint that seasons 2 and 3 are filming back-to-back.

Williams will be back in season 2 as Shane Hollander, with Storrie reprising his role as Ilya Rozanov. The Heated Rivalry season 2 cast is expected to feature a number of new cast members as well, including Daniel Diemer, Shaheen Jafargholi, Justice Smith, Charlie Gillespie, Robert Naylor, Edvin Ryding, and Emily Hampshire.

Season 1 set a high bar for season 2. Heated Rivalry enjoys a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise aimed at the performances and the show's exploration of an LGBTQ+ romance. The Popcornmeter is also high at 88%.

The series was also a viewership sensation, becoming the most-watched acquired scripted series in HBO Max history. Heated Rivalry saw its viewership more than double from its premiere to its finale. The show currently stands as the most-watched original series ever for the Crave streaming service.

While it's unclear whether Heated Rivalry season 2 will be able to match the highs of season 1, the return of the cabin could be a welcome update. Though some changes are in store in the new episodes, at least one location will seemingly be a place with which viewers are intimately familiar.