Last fall, Battle of the Blades debuted on CBC and I’ll admit — I didn’t think a reality show about former NHL players and female figure skaters would make for very good TV. However, viewers absolutely loved this competition series, with over one million tuning in every single week to see the likes of Tie Domi, Bob Probert and Claude Lemieux dancing on ice.
“We could not be happier with Canada’s response to this truly homegrown series,” said Kirstine Stewart, interim executive vice-president, English Services and General Manager of CBC Television, in a network press release.
Hosted by Hockey Night in Canada’s Ron MacLean and figure skating champ Kurt Browning, Battle of the Blades features hockey players teaming up with figure skaters to compete for a $100,000 grand prize, to be donated to the winning couple’s charity of choice. Jamie Salé and Craig Simpson won the inaugural season, giving their money to spinal cord research, but who will take top honours this year?
CBC announced the new cast yesterday, which features international competitors from Russia and the U.S. Additionally, Season 2 will boast behind-the-scenes footage, candid interviews and an in-depth look at the skaters’ journeys.
Check out the new cast below:
Hockey Players
Patrice Brisebois: Brisebois played defence for the Montreal Canadiens for 15 years in a 17-year NHL career, winning one Stanley Cup and later becoming a NASCAR Canada race car driver.
Valeri Bure: Known as the Russian Pocket Rocket for his world-class speed, Valeri played for five teams and collected over 400 points throughout his 10-year NHL career.
Kelly Chase: A hardnosed NHLer, Chase in 1998 earned the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for helping those with developmental disabilities participate in organized hockey.
Russ Courtnall: A former Olympian, the speedy right winger is known as much for his style and flair as for the 300 goals he scored in 15 NHL seasons.
Theo Fleury: A gritty forward who collected more than 1,000 points during a 15-year career in the NHL, Fleury also twice represented Canada at the Olympics, winning a gold medal in 2002.
Georges Laraque: One of the toughest players in the NHL, Laraque is also known for his charitable efforts, notably for the victims of the Haiti earthquake earlier this year.
PJ Stock: Never one to shy away from the rough stuff, Stock played 235 games in the NHL and is currently a sports broadcaster on CBC’S Hockey Night in Canada.
Todd Warriner: A first-round draft choice in 1992 by the Quebec Nordiques, Warriner was a hard-working NHL winger who scored the Leaf’s first goal at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Figure Skaters
Violetta Afanasieva: Afanasieva joined the Bolshoi Moscow Circus on Ice at the age of 14 and won the first-ever Extreme Ice Skating World Championship with Canadian partner/husband Peter Dack.
Shae-Lynn Bourne: The 10-time Canadian Dance Champion returns for her second season on Battle of the Blades. Bourne and her partner Victor Kraatz were the first North American ice dance team to capture the World Figure Skating Championship.
Isabelle Brasseur: Another of four returning skaters, she won five Canadian pairs championships and the World Title with partner Lloyd Eisler, as well as bronze medals at the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Games.
Ekaterina Gordeeva: Two-time Olympic Gold medalist and four-time World Champion, this internationally renowned Russian native is considered by many to be the world’s best pairs figure skater.
Christine Hough-Sweeney: Another return performer, she represented Canada, along with her partner Doug Ladret, at two Olympic Games and enjoyed a prolific professional career.
Kyoko Ina: A Japanese-American pairs skater, she competed in three Olympic Games and won the U.S. Championships five times with two different partners.
Anabelle Langlois: Competed at her second Olympic Games in Vancouver, making a remarkable comeback from a near-career-ending foot injury during the 2008-09 season.
Jamie Salé: This reigning Battle of the Blades champion won a gold medal at the 2002 Olympics with partner David Pelletier and the World Championships in 2001.
Battle of the Blades debuts Sunday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. ET with a one-hour, training camp episode. The live competition kicks off Sunday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. ET.
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