NHL to get in on celeb dance craze, pair players with figure skaters

NEW YORK, NY — Americans have a well-documented obsession with celebrities and reality television. So combining the two makes all the sense in the world, right? Well, that’s something the producers of TV shows like “Dancing With the Stars” have figured out, and the NHL has decided it wants in.

The new season of “Dancing With the Stars” has been it’s most popular. In fact, the two weekly episodes are among the top five most-watched programs of each week. Frankly, that’s the type of exposure the NHL could benefit from.

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Knowing this, the league has decided to pair up some of their players with figure skaters, assemble a panel of judges, and put it all on TV. Like other reality shows, the as-yet untitled NHL production will allow viewers to call in and vote for their favorite teams, and the player with the least amount of votes will be kicked off the show.

The NHL expects the new show to be a hit, and bring larger audiences to the game. Commissioner Gary Bettman admits, however, that the idea was not an original one.

“This was not something someone in our offices just came up with. It’s actually based off of my favorite movie of all-time, The Cutting Edge,” Bettman revealed to SSNN. “If you’re not familiar, it’s the undeniably heart-wrenching 1990’s love story about a former professional hockey player who has to quit due to injuries, and tries his hand at figure skating. With his spunky partner and months of rigorous training, they take on the Russians and miraculously win the gold medal. You know how they say art imitates life? Well, that’s true. And in this case, the reverse is true as well.”

Although the show has not decided which NHL players it would like to feature, young stars Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin will reportedly be asked to participate, along with a few other, more interesting choices, like 6′9″ Zdeno Chara.