From Chris Johnston of the Canadian Press:

• ‘Battle of the Blades’ a popular topic in Canadian NHL dressing rooms
  “Tomas Kaberle couldn’t pass up the chance to see former Toronto Maple Leafs teammate Tie Domi put on figure skates. That’s why he jumped at the opportunity to attend Sunday’s taping for the debut episode of Battle of the Blades, bringing new Leafs tough guy Colton Orr along with him.” Read more.

From Lindsey Ward of Sun Media:

• Ex-NHLers take spin at figure skating
  “Considering that it takes place entirely on ice, CBC’s Battle of the Blades isn’t the smoothest show around. Technical glitches, a script snafu and a one-track-minded guest judge plagued the new reality TV series’ premiere on Sunday night.” Read more.

From Bill Brioux at TV Feeds My Family:

• Battle of the Blades: The View From the Golds
  “Whatever (ratings) total emerges, it is likely to grow week-to-week as word of mouth spreads on this compelling, original and just so damn Canadian skating showcase.” Read more.

From Anh Khoi Do:

• TV: Thoughts On ‘Battle of the Blades’
  “Best performances (no order of preference): Tie Domi/Christine “Tuffy” Hough-Sweeney (alhtough I, as a fan of the Montreal Canadiens, grew up loathing Domi who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs); Glen Anderson/Isabelle Brasseur; Ron Duguay/Barbara Underhill; Claude Lemieux/Shae-Lynn Bourne (okay, Lemieux lacked finesse while he was shaking his hips).” Read more.

From Cassandra Szklarski of the Canadian Press:

• Hockey heroes and figure skating champs avoid ugly spills in Battle debut
  “Hockey hero Claude Lemieux drew swoons for a cheeky butt wiggle while NHL bruiser Tie Domi [pictured, with Christine Hough-Sweeney] got the crowd cheering with his best Mick Jagger impression Sunday as beefy athletes traded their hockey sticks for sequined outfits and sexy female partners on the CBC TV elimination-style series, Battle of the Blades.” Read more.