The cast of Heated Rivalry is getting hotter by the week, with the Canadian-made hockey drama recruiting three more stars for its second season roster.

Heated Rivalry, a production of Bell Media's Crave streaming service, became a global phenomenon in its inaugural six-episode season, after being picked up by HBO in the U.S. and internationally, and catapulted the careers of its lead stars — B.C.-born Hudson Williams, U.S. actor Connor Storrie and Quebec's François Arnaud.

Rookie cast members proclaimed Thursday include:

In a related development, "I'm so glad I don't have to keep these three a secret any more," Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid, whose Game Changers books inspired the streaming series, commented on an Instagram post about the casting announcement.

Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid just made a big donation to rural libraries. Here's why

The series follows the secret romance between two young rivals on the rink — Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) — as their careers are taking off.

Furthermore, gross, who lately starred in the Stratford Festival production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, is set to play hockey league commissioner Roger Crowell.

Zegers will play Coach Wiebe, head of the Ottawa Centaurs — the fictitious team Hollander plays for.

Jovovich will take on the role of Dr. Galina Molchalina, a Russian-speaking therapist who supports Rozanov.

Additionally, "Let's bring up the heat baby," Jovovich expressed on her Instagram account.

Bell Media previously declared that Season 1 actors Robbie G.K., Sophie Nélisse, Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh, among others, would return to their roles.

The production has also drafted an array of Canadian talent for the new season, including:

It is worth noting that heated Rivalry Season 2 cast announcement sparks criticism from some fans over body diversity

Hampshire, in an interview with CBC Montreal's Let's Go last week, expressed that series creator and director Jacob Tierney is one of her "oldest and bestest friends."

"I've been in every single one of his things, so it would be sad if I wasn't in this one," she told host Sabrina Marandola, noting that she actually made an uncredited voiceover appearance in the show's first season.

In the broader context, hampshire declared the phenomenon of Heated Rivalry is beyond anything she saw with Schitt's Creek, the CBC show that also garnered a huge international audience and went on to sweep every key comedy category at the 2020 Primetime Emmy awards in its final season.

Despite its popularity, Heated Rivalry is not eligible for this year's Primetime Emmys, but Storrie is up for his first-ever award for his hosting gig on Saturday Night Live in February.

Heated Rivalry did, nonetheless, dominate this year's Canadian Screen Awards, collecting 13 statuettes, including the prize for best drama and Williams's win for best lead performer.

Notably, tierney confirmed on Aug. 17 that shooting of the second season had begun. It's set to premiere on Crave in Spring 2027.

Nick Logan is a senior writer with CBC based in Vancouver. He is a multi-platform reporter and producer, with a particular focus on international news. You can reach out to him at nick.logan@cbc.ca.

With files from Kayla McLean, Alexandra Mae Jones and Sabrina Marandola