Harvey the Hound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harvey the Hound is the mascot of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames. Introduced in 1983, Harvey was the first mascot in the NHL.[1] Harvey is described by the Flames as being 6'6" and 200lbs. He was acquired as the Flames "first pound draft pick" in 1983.
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[edit] History
First acted by Glenn Street, Harvey made his debut in 1983 serving as the mascot of both the Flames and the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.[1] He was later dropped by the Stampeders in favour of their own mascot, Ralph the Dog, however his popularity with the Flames was such that many teams contacted Street about making mascots for their own teams.[2] Harvey has remained a mainstay at Flames games, and at many events throughout Calgary and southern Alberta ever since.
[edit] Craig MacTavish
Harvey gained widespread publicity in January 2003, following an incident with the Edmonton Oilers head coach, Craig MacTavish. With the Flames leading 4-0, Harvey was taunting the Oilers behind their bench. The frustrated coach reached up and ripped Harvey's signature red tongue out of his mouth, tossing it into the crowd. The incident would seem to spark the Oilers, who scored three goals shortly after. The Flames would hold on to win 4-3, however.[3] The incident made headlines throughout North America, and led to many jokes, including having many other NHL team mascots arrive at the 2003 All-Star Game with their tongues hanging out.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Mascot Madness, cbc.ca, accessed February 24, 2007
- ^ Calleja, Dawn, Mascot maker, Globe and Mail, accessed February 24, 2007
- ^ Pyette, Ryan, MacTavish leaves Harvey the Hound speechless , London Free Press, January 23, 2003
- ^ Francis, Eric, The uncivil war, Calgary Sun, September 21, 2003
[edit] External links
- Harvey's Corner at calgaryflames.com
