‘Heated Rivalry’: Who Are Troy Barrett & Harris Drover? Get to Know the Characters
What To Know
- Heated Rivalry Season 2 will introduce Troy Barrett from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series.
- Troy is featured in Reid’s Role Model, and he also appears in Shane and Ilya’s sequel, The Long Game.
- Creator Jacob Tierney creator has spoken about Troy’s inclusion in Season 2.
Heated Rivalry‘s roster is about to get bigger. While the romance between hockey players Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) will remain the focus of Season 2, the show’s second chapter will see “diversions” to other characters, similar to how Season 1 included Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K).
When Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney spoke to the Los Angeles Times, he was in the middle of breaking Season 2’s story, confirming that one of those diversions would be to another character in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, which the show is based on. “Just like you can’t tell the story without Scott Hunter, you can’t really tell the story without Troy Barrett,” Tierney said.
Troy’s name might not ring a bell for those unfamiliar with the books, so Swooon — who has become well-versed in all things Game Changers — thought we might introduce you to the character. Like Tierney’s comment suggests, Troy plays a major role in Reid’s The Long Game, which Season 2 will be based on. Keep reading for everything you need to know about Troy and his love interest, Harris, ahead of Season 2.
Who is Troy Barrett in Heated Rivalry?
Before he appears in The Long Game, Troy has a small role in Reid’s Tough Guy, and he becomes a main character in Role Model. (It’s worth mentioning that The Long Game and Role Model have overlapping timelines.) When we first meet Troy in Tough Guy, he comes across as nothing more than a bully. His best friend, Dallas Kent, is the biggest bully in the professional hockey league. They’re both star players for the Toronto Guardians, but when Dallas is accused of sexual assault, a blindsided Troy immediately calls him out and cuts him off. Their falling out is captured on camera, and Troy immediately gets backlash from fans and the league.
Toronto doesn’t want to get rid of Dallas, their best player, so instead, they trade Troy to the Ottawa Centaurs. That’s where Role Model picks up. Once we start reading from his point of view, it’s revealed that Troy is gay and struggling with keeping his sexuality a secret. On top of that, he doesn’t have the best home life, with an absolutely horrible father. So, when he arrives in Ottawa, Troy is going through it. To make matters worse, his secret actor boyfriend suddenly dumped him.
But now, he has Ottawa’s lovable crew of misfits in his corner. Troy isn’t thrilled to be on one of the worst teams in the league — which Ilya recently became captain of — but slowly but surely, his new teammates break through the walls he put up. Harris Drover, the team’s social media manager, is determined to do just that. Harris and his new circumstances inspire Troy to become a better person and use his platform to speak up for sexual assault victims.
Who is Harris Drover in Heated Rivalry?
Harris’ personality is pretty much the opposite of Troy’s quiet, brooding one. In Role Model, Troy is immediately envious of how open Harris is about his sexuality. Harris grew up on an apple orchard with his family, all of whom he’s still close with. A lifelong hockey fan, Harris is the driving force behind Ottawa’s social media presence, encouraging all of the players to connect with fans via videos. Everyone on the team loves him, and he loves them right back.
Though he’s all sunshine and bubbliness, Harris has a traumatic past: He’s had to undergo multiple surgeries for a congenital heart defect, which has left him with a scar on his chest. He hates it when other people, including his family, treat him as fragile. Troy, he comes to discover, doesn’t. Harris is drawn to Troy almost immediately, noticing that he’s struggling. Harris becomes Troy’s closest friend and support system, and it doesn’t take long for Harris to catch feelings.
Will Troy and Harris be in Heated Rivalry Season 2?
Based on Tierney’s recent comments, it’s safe to assume that Troy will appear in Season 2. He didn’t mention Harris, but in a December 2025 interview with Swooon, Tierney teased, “I’m excited to meet all of the fond members of the Ottawa Centaurs, including any new players that happen to show up there and maybe their social media manager…and who knows, all kinds of stuff.”
Who’s playing Troy and Harris in Heated Rivalry?
Sometime between now and this summer — when Season 2 filming begins — Troy and Harris’ casting will be revealed. It seems like Tierney will draw from a specific pool of actors: “We need Canadian talent, and we love Canadian talent. It’s not a burden, but it’s also something we literally have to do to get our financing,” he told the Los Angeles Times. (Still, we made a dream cast if you want to check out our ideas.)
Heated Rivalry, Season 2, TBA 2027, Crave & HBO Max
