In a surprise twist on Week 3 of Battle of the Blades, Vanessa James and her partner Akim Aliu, along with Eric Radford and Jennifer Botterill were saved from elimination by the judge's scores, after competing in a head-to-head skate-off, the judges scored both pairs at 16.8, leaving everyone in the running for Week 4.
"We have a tie!" confirmed host Ron MacLean. "No one's going home!"
Week 3 gave each hockey player an opportunity to tell their personal story on the ice. The heartfelt performances were accompanied by emotional videos and photos that played on the monitors around the rink.
Vanessa James and Akim Aliu's performance was dedicated to Akim's all-BIPOC minor hockey team and the youth athletes made a cameo appearance in a dance video projected above the ice; Akim and Vanessa mirrored the young players' moves as the video played behind them.
"I see the passion," said Scott Moir to Akim. "This was the first time I really saw your personality, your power showing through.
After Natalie Spooner and Elladj Balde gave their scores, Scott Moir tied the averages with a 5.5 for Vanessa and Akim.
