Jack Innanen Has ‘Had Some Conversations’ About Joining Season Two of ‘Heated Rivalry’

Entertainment Tonight has revealed that Jack Innanen, known for his role as Paul Baker in FX’s Adults, has been in talks about the possibility of joining the second season of Heated Rivalry.

Released on Crave in late 2025, Heated Rivalry is based on the book of the same name by Rachel Reid. Following the budding romance between two hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the show has been met with rave reviews and recently won an award for Outstanding New TV Series at the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. With season two on the horizon, Entertainment Tonight spoke with Innanen about his love for the show.

“We’ve seen all of your posts about Heated Rivalry, and I have to ask you, why are you perfect for the show?” Entertainment Tonight asked Innanen at the premiere of Netflix’s Big Mistakes. Innanen said he thinks he’s perfect for the show because he’s “down for anything.”

“And I played hockey,” Innanen said. “I’ve been working on my hip mobility.”

When asked if he’s heard from showrunner Jacob Tierney or any of the other cast, Innanen said, “I’ve had some conversations. We’ve chatted.”

Entertainment Tonight followed up on this, asking if he’s booked. Innanen responded by zipping his lips and said, “Who knows?”

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Entertainment Tonight theorized that there are two characters Innanen would most likely play: “Troy Barrett, who plays with Ilya on the Ottawa Centaurs and is the main character in Role Model, which is about his romance with social media manager Harris Drover⁠,” or “Wyatt Hayes, who is the Centaurs’ goalie and a vocal ally to the queer players in the league⁠.”

Entertainment Tonight also posted a screenshot on Instagram, revealing that Tierney is following Innanen on the social media platform. Tierney hasn’t commented yet on whether or not Innanen is confirmed for the Season Two cast.

While an exact release date hasn’t been announced yet, Heated Rivalry has targeted an April 2027 release, with filming beginning around August 2026. Tierney recently said, “There will be more Heated Rivalry truly as soon as humanly possible.” In the meantime, watch Entertainment Tonight’s interview with Innanen below: