Prime Video's new series "Off Campus" is hoping to capture the hockey romance audience that made "Heated Rivalry" a phenomenon. The show, which began streaming Wednesday, is based on Elle Kennedy's popular romance novels and follows the steamy love lives of a college hockey team. Much like Netflix's "Bridgerton," each season will focus on a different couple's story.
Season 1 Focus: Garrett and Hannah
The first season centers on team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) and Hannah Wells (Ella Bright). After an embarrassing encounter where Hannah, working as a janitor, stumbles upon Garrett naked in the locker room, they strike a deal: they will pretend to date to make the guy Hannah is interested in jealous, and in return, she will tutor Garrett in a difficult class. Their arrangement soon blossoms into something more.
Room for More Than One Hockey Show
"Off Campus" began production about a year before "Heated Rivalry" — the HBO hit about gay professional hockey players based on Rachel Reid's books — made its debut. Inevitable comparisons between the two shows are expected, but the cast of "Off Campus" believes there is room for multiple hockey-themed series.
"There's new shows and movies about American football all the time. Nobody’s like, 'Oh great, here comes another Remember the Titans,'" Cameli said. "'Heated Rivalry' had a ton of success and it deserved it. Those guys are great. I’m thrilled for them."
Creator and showrunner Louisa Levy noted that "Heated Rivalry" is breaking barriers with its queer storyline. "Not only is it another hockey show, it’s a queer hockey show, which is amazing. And it’s also very different from our show," Levy said. "Our show is in college. Our show follows a group of friends. It’s a different kind of romance."
Stephen Kalyn, who plays Dean Di Laurentis, expressed pride in the success of the Canadian-made "Heated Rivalry." "Seeing another Canadian creator make such a very popular and hit show, it’s really inspiring, honestly," Kalyn said. "I’m just proud. I’m a proud Canadian."
Honing Their Hockey Skills
Although "Off Campus" mostly follows the players' lives off the ice, the cast wanted the hockey action to look realistic. "We did ask all the guys to put themselves on tape skating to make sure that they could at least stand on ice before we shot, because it is important. We want it to feel organic," Levy said.
Before filming, the actors underwent a two-week hockey boot camp with former pro Dave Tomlinson to learn the basics. "We did a lot of the close-ups as we’re skating," said Jalen Thomas Brooks, who plays John Tucker. "There’s no pretending to skate. We’re all on skates moving, actually striding. But when it comes to the big, big sequences, those are sometimes stunt doubles."
Kalyn, who grew up playing hockey, was able to perform more of his own moves on camera. "It’s such a treat to be able to play hockey and act — the two things that I love," Kalyn said.
Next Up on the Ice
Season 2 of "Off Campus" begins filming soon and will star Cipriano, with India Fowler cast as his love interest, Grace Ivers. While Cipriano is excited for his character Logan to meet Grace, he is focused on celebrating the release of Season 1. "We don’t need to think about the future right now," he said.
Cameli is looking forward to his co-stars getting their own major storylines. "They’re all really prepared for whenever their turn is up next," Cameli said. "I love these guys. They are all so talented and skilled and sweet, and they are just really great people."
Unlike "Bridgerton," where past couples only appear occasionally after their season, Cameli and Bright confirmed that their characters will stick around. "We're not going anywhere," promised Bright. "I’m just excited to see Hannah and Garrett in their relationship and what challenges they might overcome being together."
