Netflix's Off Campus Rival Sets Up Its Full 3-Season Future With New Cast

Published Oct 3, 2026, 1:45 PM EDT

El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel.

Netflix's upcoming Off Campus rival has already set up its full three-season future. Contemporary sports romance has been one of the publishing world's biggest subgenres for years; hockey, especially, has become a popular niche, with indie and traditionally published authors alike creating fictional hockey teams to anchor their swoon-worthy (and often steamy) love stories. Authors like Chelsea Curto, Emily Rath, Kandi Steiner, Meghan Quinn, Bal Khabra, and more have taken the book world by storm.

The trend has finally spilled over into Hollywood, with more and more contemporary hockey romance novels being picked up by streamers and studios left, right, and center. After the sensational success of Crave's queer adult hockey romance adaptation Heated Rivalry, based on the books by Rachel Reid, and Prime Video's college-set Off Campus, inspired by Elle Kennedy's interconnected new adult series, Netflix is looking to build its own hockey-centric romance empire, starting with Hannah Grace's debut novel, Icebreaker.

Published in 2022, Grace's Icebreaker stormed multiple bestseller charts, selling over five million copies worldwide and being translated into 24 languages. The book follows Olympics-bound figure skater Anastasia "Stassie" Allen and hot-shot college hockey captain Nate Hawkins, forced to share a rink at the least convenient time. While Anastasia is determined not to fall for his charms, that's easier said than done, especially once Nate helps her find a new way forward in her career.

Netflix recently confirmed that newcomers Daisy Jelley (Poser, Geek Girl) and Connor Simos (Subversion) have been cast to play Anastasia and Nate, respectively. In that same update, Netflix revealed multiple other cast members for the Icebreaker adaptation, and two names in particular hint at Netflix's desire to develop Icebreaker as a multi-season show, rather than a one-and-done limited series.

Icebreaker Is The First Book In The Maple Hills Trilogy

Icebreaker is the first installment in Grace's Maple Hills trilogy. The second book, Wildfire, was published in 2023, and the third, Daydream, hit shelves in 2024. Like Kennedy's Off Campus series, Grace's trilogy follows the loosely interconnected, standalone love stories of three college-level Maple Hills Titans hockey players. First is Nate, who graduates in Icebreaker; next is goalie Russ Callaghan, and finally it's Henry Turner's turn. In Netflix's Icebreaker, Aidan Shaw (who briefly appeared as a hockey player in Heated Rivalry) will play Russ, while Devin Craig (Sex Lives of College Girls) will portray Henry.

While it's not surprising that Russ and Henry have been cast for Icebreaker's first season, as they're both Nate's teammates — Russ is indirectly responsible for the rink mishap that brings Anastasia and Nate together, and Henry eventually develops a loving friendship with Stassie — Netflix confirming their casting early does read as a sign of confidence in the show. Hopefully, they won't just be background characters. Hypothetically, Icebreaker season 1 could lay the foundation for their lives and eventual love stories, similar to what Off Campus did with Garrett Graham's teammates.

Icebreaker Cast Member	Icebreaker Character
Daisy Jelley	Anastasia Allen
Connor Simos	Nate Hawkins
Gabriel Tierney	Aaron
Auliʻi Cravalho	Lola
Peter Berry	Robbie
Chaneil Kular	JJ
Aidan Shaw	Russ
Devin Craig	Henry

What's fun about Grace's trilogy is that each story feels distinct. Wildfire, for instance, while technically a hockey romance, is a heated, sun-drenched summer romp, as Russ and his future girlfriend Aurora work as camp counselors together after a surprising one-night stand (that one-night stand could potentially be included in Icebreaker season 1, similar to Allie and Dean's introduction in Off Campus' first season). Daydreamer, meanwhile, is a romance reader's dream; the FMC is an aspiring author who runs a local book club and helps Henry study for a class. He, in turn, helps her break through her writer's block.

Off Campus Has Set A High Bar For College Hockey Romance Shows

Credit: Liane Hentscher/Prime

Prime Video's Off Campus has set a high bar for college hockey romance adaptations. Off Campus was renewed for a second season before the first had even premiered. It was the third-biggest launch for a Prime original show ever, just behind genre juggernauts The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Fallout, reaching 36 million viewers in its first 12 days of release (via THR). It's also been in Prime Video's worldwide Top 10 TV Shows chart since its May debut. It's currently in third place.

Off Campus' rewatch value is clearly second to none. What makes it so rewarding is its sincerity. Garrett and Hannah's chemistry is sweet and sultry; they're fun to watch, as are Dean and Allie, Logan, and Tucker. The show balances emotionally heavy topics with sexy romance, shameless flirting, and just the right amount of cheesy dialogue, and its happy ending feels earned, not forced. Hannah and Garrett deserve to find joy together. Their journey is worth the commitment.

If Netflix's version of Anastasia and Nate can recreate the loving, steamy dynamic that book readers fell in love with in Hannah Grace's Icebreaker, it could become one of Netflix's biggest romance adaptations yet.

Icebreaker does not yet have a confirmed release date.