Netflix / Instagram
Maple Hills must be next door to Mystic Falls. On November 12, Netflix announced thatanother star from The Vampire Diaries has joined the cast of Icebreaker.The actors playing Coach Neil Faulker and Coach Brady are TVD alums.
Production has officially begun on the college hockey romance TV show, based on Hannah Grace’s Maple Hills book series. We already know that Daisy Jelley and Connor Simos were cast as the leads of the hockey romance series, and fan favorites from Moana, Heated Rivalry, andRivals have joined the cast, too.
The production news, which included a video of Jelly, Simos, and more cast members on set, arrives after the TV show was greenlit on June 15, on the heels of breakout hits like Crave’s Heated Rivalry and Prime Video’sOff Campus. Icebreakeris a bit different in that figure skating is involved: Anastasia Allen, an Olympic-hopeful figure skater, is forced to share the rink with hockey player Nate Hawkins. They clash, but their attraction is undeniable.
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Stassie and Nate’s story, the actors playing them, the rest of the cast, and more.
What is Icebreakerabout?
Here’s what Netflix has shared about the series: “She’s the transfer gunning for Olympic gold. He’s the campus star chasing the NHL. But when an accident forces their teams to share one rink, Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins collide — and discipline gives way to obsession, because the only thing more dangerous than wanting to win is wanting each other.”
While Stassie isn’t a transfer in the original series, the adaptation appears to be fairly faithful to the original novel so far. We’re curious to see whether Stassie and Aaron’s toxic partnership will make its way onto the screen as well.
What is Icebreaker’s premiere date?
Right now, there is no set premiere date for the Icebreaker TV series. After the leads were announced on September 28, Netflix shared that production started on November 4.
It’s time to hit the ice! ICEBREAKER, a new Netflix series based on the best-selling sports romance book, is now in production. https://t.co/OFCDTc5CPV
— Netflix Canada (@Netflix_CA) November 4, 2026
We wouldn’t expect to see it hit the streamer until late 2027 or even 2028. Sounds like a perfect series for a winter release to us!
Who’s been cast in Icebreaker?
Daisy Jelley (Poser, How to Have Sex,Geek Girl) and Connor Simos (Subversion) have been cast as Stassie and Nate, respectively. While viewers might recognize Jelley from a few roles over the years, Simos is a fresh face. At the time of the casting announcement, he had just over 300 followers on Instagram. Nearly two months later, he already has 18,000.
Just a day later, we learned that our two leads will be joined by Gabriel Tierney (Rivals) as Aaron, Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana) as Lola, newbie Peter Berry as Robbie, Chaneil Kular (Best of the Best) as JJ, Devin Craig (Sex Lives of College Girls) as Henry, and Aidan Shaw (Heated Rivalry) as Russ. Henry and Russ have their own books in Grace’s series.
Auli’i Cravalho, Chaneil Kular, Gabriel Tierney, and Peter Berry. (Credit: Jon Stars / Patch Bell / Matt Nalton / Philipp Sonnack)
Paul Wesley of Star Trek: Strange New Worldsand The Vampire Diaries is officially taking on the role of Coach Faulkner. As one shocked fan put it, “AINT NO WAY.” A day later, Sara Canning, who played Aunt Jenna on TVD, announced she was joining the cast as Coach Brady. A TVD reunion!
Who else is involved in Icebreaker?
Icebreaker is being brought to life byUnwell Productions,Call Her Daddy podcaster Alex Cooper‘s company, along with Cooper, Matt Kaplan, and Meena Lefevre as executive producers. The showrunners for the series are Amanda Lasher (Gossip Girl) and Jade Bartlett (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), who are both writers and executive producers as well.
“Netflix has a long history of turning beloved romance novels into massive global hits. We know our members can’t get enough of these stories, which makes Icebreaker the perfect next chapter for us,” Netflix shared. “By supercharging the hockey sports romance genre, Icebreaker has ignited a passionate fandom and helped redefine the landscape of contemporary romance. We are thrilled to partner with Jade Bartlett, Amanda Lasher, and the team at Unwell Productions to bring this irresistible love story to life.”
Devin Craig and Aidan Shaw. (Karolina Turek / Raúl Romo)
Will Wildfire and Daydream be adapted, too?
The official release only confirms thatIcebreaker is being adapted. However, the official statement does mention the “three-book Maple Hills” series, so we’d assume the series will continue into Wildfire and Daydream if given more than one season. Now that Craig has been cast as Henry and Shaw has been cast as Russ, we’re even more eager for Seasons 2 and 3!
Icebreaker, Season 1, TBA, Netflix