I missed the NHL Alumni Game against the Law Enforcement All Stars over the weekend, a fundraising game for Special Olympics and the Torch Run.
However, through the NHL Alumni marketing wing and our sales department, I was quite pleased to have the opportunity to do a pre-event interview with Todd Harvey.
Todd Harvey !!!
In 1989, Harvey was big news, playing as a FOURTEEN year old in the Midwestern Junior B Hockey League, actually not only playing but leading the Cambridge Winterhawks.
The Owen Sound Greys of 1989-90 had a terrific team and they nearly got derailed in the first round by Harvey and the Hawks.
The following year, Harvey and Brantford’s Chris Gratton put on a tremendous show vying to be the first overall selection in the Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection.
Harvey was selected first overall by the Detroit Junior Red Wings and while it’s a stretch to say he turned the franchise around, the Junior Wings cum Plymouth Whalers have seldom had a bad year since he arrived 20 years ago.
Out of interest, Gratton went third overall to Kingston.
The Owen Sound Platers had the pick in between Harvey and Gratton and in fairness to Jeff Smith who we always liked and still do, we won’t get into that topic.
Drafted 9th overall by Dallas in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Harvey played for 4 NHL teams, nearly 700 games and scored just shy of 100 career goals.
These days Todd Harvey operates a hockey training facility back in Cambridge and has lunch almost every day with his buddy, former Plater Scott Walker.
Last week, he turned 37 years old but the image of the evolving 14 year old hockey star for Cambridge doesn’t seem that many years ago.
I’m Fred Wallace
