The world has fallen in love with Heated Rivalry’s Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, but prepare to meet Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham, and fall in love all over again.
Prime Video’s Off Campus series will debut in May 2026, and is based on the first book, The Deal, in Elle Kennedy’s popular Off-Campus hockey romance series. The story uses the fake dating trope to follow the captain of the school’s hockey team, Garrett, as he helps music student Hannah – who as a high schooler was sexually assaulted, changing her life forever – make her crush jealous, only for the two to inevitably fall for each other.
There are five books in the series, but stars Jalen Thomas Brooks and Stephen Kalyn tell HELLO! that season one is 100% an ensemble show, even with Garrett and Hannah up front as the main love story.
“You’re on campus living with all of us,” Jalen, who plays hockey star John Tucker, shares. “You get accustomed to all of us [in season one], see the friendships that are growing – you’re getting to know everybody at the same time.”
“It’s something we talked about when we’re filming,” added Stephen, who plays Dean Di Laurentis. ‘Everybody has a moment, you get to see everybody and discover all the ways that the storylines are intertwined.”
© Getty Images for Vanity FairSports romance
The world of sports romance literature has blossomed in recent years, with Elle Kennedy at the forefront with the Off Campus series. Stephen is convinced fans of the books will be happy with the adaptation, and Jalen added: “[Showrunners Louisa Levy and Gina Fattore] took the books and really illuminated a heart in them.
“I think people are going to be surprised with the amount of heart that was put into it. I think people are looking for the smut – and you’re going to get the smut – but you’re going to stay for a whole lot of reasons. It’s a good energy, good vibe, it’s lovely.”
The hype around hockey shows has only exploded since Canadian series Heated Rivalry dropped in November 2025; based on Rachel Reid’s series of books, the show follows two closeted hockey players over a decade as they fall in love.
It has had a real-world impact as well – SeatGeek said that its weekly hockey ticket sales “jumped more than 20% after the show’s first episodes aired late last year,” and revenue “soared more than 30%.” StubHub revealed that searches for hockey tickets “increased 75% on the platform and purchases by first-time buyers rose 5%,” in the same time period.
That success has also seen the NHL receive heightened criticism; Team USA’s men’s hockey team were roundly denounced when they laughed openly at a misogynistic joke made by President Donald Trump, and two of the players, Jack and Quinn Hughes, were condemned for attempting to use Connor Storrie’s popularity as part of their apology tour.
Players have also come under scrutiny for social media posts, and their refusal to embrace the league’s annual Pride Nights which celebrate all hockey fans.
© Liane Hentscher/PrimeHeated Rivalry comparisons
Despite the obvious comparisons that will come with Heated Rivalry, (the big difference, however, is that Off Campus is a heterosexual romance), Jalen says that they are also “very, very different” in tone and storytelling.
The one similarity? “The way the scenes breathe. They give the actors a chance to marinate in the dynamics of the show. It’s something that Off Campus is doing, and that’s something that Heated Rivalry did really, really well,” said Jalen.
“I think people aren’t going to expect Off Campus to do something like that, and we do – especially Belmont and Ella, they crush it, they’re phenomenal.”
“I’d say that each actor finds a way to bring that authenticity to each role,” added Stephen. “With Heated Rivalry, those actors really bring that, and all of us do as well. There’s a real authenticity to each part.”
© Liane Hentscher/PrimeOff Campus characters
Jalen, 24, is now an Actor Award winner after scooping a statue as part of the ensemble cast of HBO’s The Pitt on March 1.
In Off Campus he plays John Tucker, a patient and non-judgmental college student from the south, who, during the book series, discovers his one night stand is pregnant.
Stephen, 27, guest-starred in Amazon’s reboot of Cruel Intentions and shot a recurring role in Gen V, and stars as Dean, known as the ladies man of the group, charming and smart, and from a wealthy family.
Team bonding
© Getty Images for Vanity FairJalen and Stephen, along with Belmont who plays Garrett and Antonio Cipriano as defence player John Logan, bonded on what Jalen called a “boy’s camp” in the weeks before production began – “no girls allowed!” – where they learned how to skate and play hockey, and where they developed a huge friendship that resonates on camera.
“I think we nailed exactly what we were going for – I think we actually exceeded that. Each and every one of us is perfect for each character, and you’ll see, you’ll just see!” said Dean.
Prime Video is putting a lot of faith in the series – the service has already renewed the series for a second season – and the cast has already watched the first eight episodes together, with Dean admitting that there were lots of tears and laughter.
Jalen, however, was not there.
“I had to watch it separately because I was working on The Pitt,” added Jalen. “They all got to watch it together. I was sitting there, eating popcorn by myself for eight hours, damn crying and stuff.”
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