‘Heated Rivalry’ Ottawa Centaurs Dream Cast: Our Picks for Wyatt Hayes & More
[Warning: The below contains minor spoilers for The Long Game by Rachel Reid.]
The Ottawa Centaurs are coming! Though they may or may not get a different name in Heated Rivalry Season 2, we know for sure that Ilya’s new hockey team will be introduced. Fans of Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry novel and its sequel, The Long Game, will remember that Ilya (Connor Storrie) joins the Centaurs’ roster to be closer to Shane (Hudson Williams), becoming captain of one of the worst teams in the league. (Secret boyfriend of the year, right there.)
Though they haven’t found their groove on the ice, the Centaurs are a lovable, loyal bunch. (Unlike some teams. We’re looking at you, Montreal.) Goalie Wyatt Hayes becomes one of Ilya’s closest friends, and the kind Coach Wiebe always supports his players. Rookie Luca Haas stands out as one of Ilya’s fanboys, while defenseman Zane Boodram — nicknamed Bood — is the life of the party. If you can’t tell, we quite literally can’t wait to see them come to life in Season 2.
In the meantime, we’ve come up with some actors that we think would best embody our favorite crew of misfits. We even went a step further and picked only Canadian actors, since creator Jacob Tierney said that they’ll continue casting Canadian talent in Season 2. (We wish we’d known that when we fancasted Troy, Harris, and the other leading men. Oh, well.) Just to preface, we’ve only dream-casted the players who get the most to do in The Long Game. Once you’ve scrolled through our list, let us know what you think in the comments!
Heated Rivalry, Season 2, 2027, Crave & HBO Max
Jack Innanen as Wyatt Hayes
We can’t take credit for this one. Jack Innanen has been the internet’s pick to play Wyatt Hayes ever since the actor himself made his pitch to join the Heated Rivalry universe in Season 2. Innanen “knows his way around a puck,” having played for his college’s intramural team. It’s enough to convince us that he’s the perfect Wyatt (even though Innanen plays center rather than goaltender). After seeing him as the golden retriever-esque Paul Baker in Hulu’s Adults, we know he could pull off the uber-friendly Wyatt without breaking a sweat. (Not literally — he would on the ice.)
Justin Chatwin as Coach Wiebe
Calling all Shameless fans. We need Justin Chatwin to be booked as Coach Brandon Wiebe yesterday. Weibe is a former NHL forward, and he’s in his 40s, but he looks young for his age. (At one point, Ilya even remarks that Wiebe looks good in his workout clothes.) He’s a greener, untested coach, but he’s deeply attuned to his players. Wiebe is an understanding, kind presence and Ilya comes to respects him deeply. Though Wiebe obviously isn’t a bad boy like Chatwin’s Shameless character, we know the actor has the chops to bring him to life. What’s more, he played hockey growing up and spent time in that environment. He pulled from that experience to portray a hockey player/coach in the 2026 comedy The Roaring Game. (It’s a sign!)
Dylan Kingwell as Luca Haas
Is that you, Luca Haas? Dylan Kingwell is best known for playing Duncan and Quigley Quagmire in Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. (And he played a character named Luca in The 100 Season 7. Another sign!) Luca is the Centaurs’ shy, superstar rookie who looks up to Ilya. Kingwell looks younger than Storrie, and he knows how to play hockey, per his Instagram. All he needs to do is practice a Swedish accent.
Ashton James as Zane "Bood" Boodram
Heated Rivalry casting department, we need you to call Ashton James STAT. Ilya describes his Trini linemate as the team’s “head cheerleader,” even wondering at one point why he wasn’t appointed captain instead. James is no stranger to embodying a hockey player: He’s starring as one in the upcoming Youngblood remake. James underwent two years of intensive hockey training for the role, so he could hit the ground running (or hit the ice skating?) in Heated Rivalry.
Dylan Playfair as Evan Dykstra
We’ve already had one Letterkenny and Heated Rivalry crossover with Nadine Bhabha, and we need another with Dylan Playfair. (For the uninitiated, Tierney created the Canadian comedy series.) Defenseman Evan Dykstra’s biggest contribution in the books is blasting bad country music in the locker room and dancing in a bee costume at Ilya’s Halloween party. Playfair is the perfect actor for both of those jobs, having mastered the art of playing a hockey bro in Letterkenny. He also knows how to play the sport, of course, so he wouldn’t need a body double for scenes on the ice. Seriously, we can’t think of anyone better for Evan.
