BATTLE OF THE BLADES SEASON FOUR PAIRS REVEALED IN TONIGHT'S SPECIAL TWO HOUR PREMIERE EPISODE

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).

The BATTLE OF THE BLADES cast and judging panel are available for one-on-one media interviews tomorrow at the MasterCard Centre at 10:30 a.m. Phone interviews are available for media across the country.

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.

• 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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

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.

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.

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.

(Sinead) Autism Speaks Canada

(Grant) Parachute

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For more information about the competitors, please visit the official online portal of BATTLE OF THE BLADES, cbc.ca/battle. BATTLE OF THE BLADES is executive produced by John Brunton, Barbara Bowlby and Sandra Bezic who is also a co-creator. Supervising producer is Lindsay Cox with producers Erin Brock & Mark Lysakowski. It is produced by Insight Productions in association with CBC Television.

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

Insight Production Company Ltd, headed by John Brunton & Barbara Bowlby has become an industry leader in the creative development, financing and production of highly rated television programs and cutting edge multiplatform content for the global market in every genre. Since 1979, it has been recognized for its reputation for quality as the recipient of numerous international awards, including multiple Gemini’s. The company has created thousands of hours of groundbreaking television that continues to be broadcast over major networks worldwide. Recent hits include THE JUNO AWARDS, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, BIG BROTHER CANADA, TOP CHEF CANADA, NEVER EVER DO THIS AT HOME and original formats including CANADA SINGS. For more information visit:

CBC’s team of in-house publicists deliver a comprehensive publicity service for all CBC programming and events. For a complete list of publicity contacts and for more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the new CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.

Erin Richards

entertainment publicist, CBC

416 205 7994 (office) / 416 627 5728 (mobile)

Cary Mignault

Unit Publicity Manager, Insight Productions

416-435-9295