Former NHL star Theo Fleury is set to lace up for the upcoming season of CBC’s hit reality-TV series Battle of the Blades.

He'll join Russ Courtnall and six other hockey stars for a second go-round of the kitschy CBC reality show, which kicks off Sept. 26.

Fleury recently made headlines for alleging sexual abuse at the hands of former coach Graham James. Blades executive producer John Brunton says Fleury will be a strong competitor on the show.

"It's a great opportunity, Battle of the Blades, to kind of reinvent yourself, and it's a great opportunity to be seen by the Canadian public in a different light than what you've necessarily been seen as," he said.

"My hope for this is that it brings some excitement and some fun to a life that's been very dark and very troubled at times and that he has a great opportunity to have as much fun as we have doing the show."

Claims by the 41-year-old Fleury reopened an investigation into James over abuse that allegedly took place during the 1980s.

The new season of Battle will also include newly retired pairs skater Anabelle Langlois, and returning figure skaters Shae-Lynn Bourne and Christine Hough-Sweeney.