Summer is nearly over but anticipation for the second season of Heated Rivalry is, well, heating up and the cast includes some Alberta talent. The hit 2025 Crave show is no stranger to Canadian talent, with Kelowna’s Hudson Williams starring in Season 1 as main character Shane Hollander. For Season 2, University of Alberta (U of A) alumni Paul Gross will portray Commissioner Roger Crowell. The MHL commissioner is primarily considered to be the main antagonist of The Long Game, one of the Game Changers series books Season 2 will be drawing from. Gross was born in Calgary and studied theatre at the U of A in the 1980s. He is a Dora Mavor Moore Award winner for his 1988 performance in Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme. He was also nominated for the Dora Award for Best Performance for his 1985 role in Romeo and Juliet. In addition to his stage performances, he also won a number of Gemini Awards, including several for Due South, Slings & Arrows and Passchendaele. In 2002, Gross received the U of A’s Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2015, he received the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement and was awarded the Order of Canada for “contributions to Canadian film and television, as an actor, writer and director.” Gross’s most recent on-screen role was as Benoit Lévesque in Saint-Pierre. He joins a growing number of actors recently announced for roles in Season 2 of Heated Rivalry, including: Heated Rivalry is based on the Game Changers series written by Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid. The next book in the series, Unrivaled, is set to release on June 1, 2027. Season 2 of the show is set to premier in April 2027.
