The Canadian Press – Hockey Night in Canada loudmouth Don Cherry will be among the celebrity judges assessing the axel jumps and death spirals that former figure skaters and NHL players plan to unleash on the reality series Battle of the Blades, says Blades co-host Ron MacLean. MacLean says his Hockey Night in Canada partner is a big fan of figure skating, insisting that Grapes has often lauded the sport’s stars as some of the toughest athletes around. He was always a big, stumpy-legged hockey player so I don’t think he could participate, MacLean said Tuesday at Maple Leaf Gardens as competitors displayed their skills at an on-ice media event. But he’ll have an eye for good dance and good choreography, and obviously he’s got a little fashion sense. … The teams include Isabelle Brasseur and Glenn Anderson; Jodeyne Higgins and Ken Daneyko; Christine Hough-Sweeney and Tie Domi; Barbara Underhill and Ron Duguay; Shae-Lynn Bourne and Claude Lemieux; Kristina Lenko and Bob Probert; Marie-France Dubreuil and Stéphane Richer; and Jamie Salé and Craig Simpson.

Ha! Vindication at last! For years I’ve been taking crap on the Stool for coming out of the closet and being openly pro-Figure Skating. I’ve been ostracized by my c0-workers. Cast aside by my family and friends. Shunned by my neighbors. Well now we’ve got none other than Don Cherry, the king of the hockey world and the baddest mamma jamma in North America coming out and admitting that he too loves Figure Skating. The guy who’s made a career out of mocking guys who play soft, Euroweeny style hockey is saying Skaters are some of the world’s toughest athletes. We’ll see what kind of balls Claude Lemieux has when he’s trying to skate backwards carrying Shae-Lynn Bourne over his head with one hand. I feel so redeemed by this, I’m not even ashamed to admit I recognize every one of those Skater’s names and maybe 3 or 4 of the hockey names. But who cares? Grapes agrees with me that Figure Skating is awesome. Take THAT haters!