Battle of the Blades

Two former NHL legends will rely on Riedell skates as they trade in pucks for toe picks. These two will take the open ice and transform their fast-break hockey discipline into fast paced ice dancing on the upcoming Battle of the Blades skating competition, airing this Sunday, October 4 at 8:00 p.m. on CBC. The hockey stars will jump into the world of dance with a professional partner as they face-off with six other couples to win the grand prize of $100,000 to donate to their favorite charity. Tune in to see if these guys can give up their wrist shots for dance spins!

Retired NHL winger Craig Simpson jumpstarted his hockey career playing for Michigan State, and was quickly drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1985. He played 10 seasons in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres. Simpson earned two Stanley Cups for the Oilers, and in 1996 he retired with an all-time 497 points. In 2005, Simpson rejoined the Oilers as an assistant coach where he helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals. Today, he serves as a frequent NHL commentator on the CBC with Jim Hughson.

Quebec native Stephane Richer began his NHL career in 1984 when he was drafted into the Montreal Canadiens. When he retired in 2002, he had played in 1,054 games, scored 421 goals and won two Stanley Cups. Richer also won the Calder Cup in 1985 and is the second player to score 50+ points in a season for the Canadiens. He is best know for his playing style and hard slap shot, and earned a name for himself playing with the Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lighting, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Vipers and the New Jersey Devils.

Check out this video of the Battle of the Blades cast practicing lifts.

Best of luck to the Riedell skaters and hockey legends!