From a media release:
BATTLE OF THE BLADES SEASON FOUR PAIRS REVEALED IN TONIGHT’S SPECIAL TWO HOUR PREMIERE EPISODE
- Next Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) is a special two-hour live performance show of BATTLE OF THE BLADES
After months of anticipation, the BATTLE OF THE BLADES pairs were finally revealed tonight during the two-hour celebratory presentation titled Battle of the Blades: Made in Canada, a look back at the first three seasons.
Next Sunday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) each pair will face off for the first time during a two-hour live performance show. An action-packed hour of live performances and elimination will air every Sunday following, starting Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT).
Hosted by Ron MacLean, the judging panel features fan-favourite and four-time World and Canadian Champion Kurt Browning, Olympic and World Champion pair figure skater and BATTLE OF THE BLADES season one champion Jamie Salé, and season two BATTLE OF THE BLADES cast member and Hockey Night in Canada panelist P.J. Stock.
BATTLE OF THE BLADES is the highest-rated original Canadian format of all time. Combining athletes from two of Canada’s favourite sports, figure skating and hockey, eight World and Olympic figure skaters pair up with eight NHL hockey greats in the ultimate skating competition for charity.
The Season four pairs on BATTLE OF THE BLADES are:
Violetta Afanasieva & Jason Strudwick
The first-ever Extreme Ice Skating World Champion with Canadian partner/husband Peter Dack, Violetta Afanasieva returns for a third season of BATTLE OF THE BLADES and is paired with Jason Strudwick, who played with the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers over his 14-year NHL career.
Charities:
(Violetta) Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes
(Jason) Edmonton Inner City Children’s Program
Shae-Lynn Bourne & Anson Carter
Internationally revered figure skater Shae-Lynn Bourne, World Ice Dance Champion, 10-time Canadian Ice Dance Champion, three-time Olympian and member of the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame, is skating with Anson Carter, who played 16 NHL seasons for the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes.
Charities:
(Shae-Lynn) World Vision – Starting Strong Program
(Anson) Shirt off my Back
Jessica Dubé & Brian Savage
Jessica Dubé, World Pair Bronze Medallist three-time Canadian Pairs Champion and two-time Olympian who survived a dangerous cut to her face while competing in 2007, is partnered with Brian Savage, an Olympic Silver Medallist and assistant captain of the Montreal Canadiens for nine seasons during his 12-year NHL career.
Charities:
(Jessica) Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
(Brian) 10 Rainbows Children’s Foundation – Meghan’s Wings
Marie-France Dubreuil & Mathieu Dandenault
Returning from seasons one and three, Marie-France Dubreuil is a five-time Canadian National Ice Dance Champion paired with Mathieu Dandenault, who had a storied 13-year NHL career as a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Detroit Red Wings, retiring with the Montreal Canadiens in 2010.
Charities:
(Marie-France) Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
(Mathieu) Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation
Amanda Evora & Scott Thornton
A two-time U.S. Pairs Silver Medallist and the first ever Filipino-American to compete in the Winter Olympics, Amanda Evora is skating with Scott Thornton, who totalled 1,459 penalty minutes over his 17-year NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.
Charity:
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Marcy Hinzmann & Mike Krushelnyski
Marcy Hinzmann, returning from season three of BATTLE OF THE BLADES, is a two-time U.S. Pairs Medalists and Olympian, and is partnered with Mike Krushelnyski, who won three Stanley Cups as a player with the Edmonton Oilers and one as assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings.
Charity:
NHL Alumni Hockey’s Greatest Family
Oksana Kazakova & Vladimir Malakhov
Oksana Kazakova, the 1998 Olympic Pairs Gold Medallist, World Pairs Championships Bronze Medallist and a European Champion is skating with Vladimir Malakhov, who played with the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, and is a member of the rare and coveted Triple Gold Club, with an Olympic Gold medal, World Championship and Stanley Cup to his credit.
Charity:
iOrphan Canada
Sinead Kerr & Grant Marshall
Sinead Kerr, a two-time Olympian in 2006 and 2010 and a seven-time British Ice Dance Champion, is partnered with Grant Marshall, who overcame temporary paralysis as a junior hockey player to play 700 NHL games and became a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils.
Charities:
(Sinead) Autism Speaks Canada
(Grant) Parachute
