Battle of the Blades is shaking things up this season, adding its first female hockey player, male pro skater and introducing several new faces across the board.
CBC announced yesterday that Olympic gold medalist and Canadian National Women’s Hockey Team member Tessa Bonhomme will swap out her hockey skates for figure skates this fall on the reality competition series.
She will be paired with David Pelletier, who has served as a choreographer during the last two seasons of Blades.
“I can’t wait to take on the NHL players and show them that women’s hockey has come a long way,” Bonhomme said in a statement. “I am honoured to be the first woman representing our great game, and with a partner like David Pelletier, we will try to take it easy on these guys.”
CBC also revealed the former NHLers taking part in Season 3: Bryan Berard, Brad May, Boyd Devereaux, Wade Belak, Curtis Leschyshyn and Cale Hulse.
As for the figure skaters taking to the ice alongside Pelletier, they are Elena Berezhnaya, Tanith Belbin, Marie-France Dubreuil, Anabelle Langlois, Violetta Afanasieva and Kim Navarro.
Christine Hough-Sweeney, Jamie Salé, Kyoko Ina, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Ekaterina Gordeva (who won Season 2 with partner Valeri Bure) will not return.
The show will once again award the winning duo $100,000 to the charity of their choice.
Battle of the Blades returns Sunday, Sept. 18, at 8 p.m. ET on CBC.
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