Jack Innanen Was Forced To Turn Down A Heated Rivalry Role
The Troy Barrett dream is over.
Jack Innanen’s campaign to join the Heated Rivalry universe had the whole internet talking, but it sadly seems to have come to an end. The Adults star had previously shared that he was been in talks with the team behind the hit hockey romance about a potential role in the upcoming second season. But the latest update confirms that although Innanen was offered a part, he had to turn it down.
On June 10, Entertainment Weekly reported that Innanen was approached for a starring role in the second season of Heated Rivalry, but because of production conflicts, the actor was forced to pass.
Innanen was one of the most prominent names put forth by the fandom to join the cast, which was further spurred along by the actor’s vocal enthusiasm for the material. He confirmed he’d been in touch with the Heated Rivalry crew during an April 6 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I’ve had some conversations. We’ve chatted,” the actor said. “I think I’m perfect for the show because I am down for anything. And I played hockey. I got some mini sticks, I’ve been practicing, I’ve been working on my stick handling. I saw Hudson do the... I’ve been working on my hip mobility.”
It was not clarified which character Innanen was offered. Fans of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels had most prominently fan-cast him to be Troy Barrett, the protagonist of the fifth book, Role Model. But he’d also been fan-cast as Wyatt Hayes and Dallas Kent.
In a February Los Angeles Times interview, showrunner Jacob Tierney dropped a big hint that Troy Barrett would play a large part in Season 2. “Just like you can't tell the story without Scott Hunter, you can't really tell the story without Troy Barrett,” Tierney said.
Innanen had been actively campaigning to star in Heated Rivalry Season 2 on social media since the series premiered. At the start of 2026, he posted an Instagram video expressing his interest to Tierney.
“I’ve seen the stuff on Twitter: ‘Oh, Wyatt Hayes! Troy Barrett, oh!’ Jacob Tierney, I’m available for that second season, just putting that out there,” Innanen said. “I’m from Southern Ontario. I played single A, center and left wing — preferred center, though. U of T 2019 intramural champions. I know my way around a puck, let’s just say that, brother. Let’s make magic.”
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