Huskies’ goalie Harvey fails to make the cut
By Darren Zary of The StarPhoenix
Jeff Harvey made his TV debut this past weekend, but, much to everybody’s surprise, it wasn’t on My Name is Earl.
Harvey, who is known for his wacky sense of humour and laid-back personality on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team, had a short but bittersweet stint on the Global TV reality hockey series, Making the Cut: Last Man Standing.
He got loads of air-time on the season premiere and second show before getting cut.
Funny, but he had been touted as one of the show’s top prospects.
“I came in with a bang, but out with a bang as well,” said the outspoken Harvey, a second-year Huskie who led the Canada West conference with a 2.03 goals-against average last season.
“They gave me a lot of air-time for a guy who’s only on for two episodes. From my understanding, I’m no longer on the show but they’re doing an hour goalie episode so I might re-appear for that one. But, for now, my TV career is over.”
At the Telus University Cup national championships last March, Harvey got kidded for looking like TV’s goofy character, Earl, from that hit comedy series. At the time, Harvey had the handlebar mustache and facial hair going along with his wild curly hair.
He’s back this season as the No. 1 goalie for the Dogs, who head into Edmonton this week for one last pre-season tournament, the Brick Invitational, before starting the Canada West regular season the following week.
Harvey, who attended the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets’ training camp as a free agent last year, took part in the TV series, which was filmed back in July out in Vernon, B.C.
“This one was 36 players by invite only,” he said, “so that had a little bit more credibility and merit, so I jumped all over it.”
He was recruited by Scott McWilliam, assistant director of hockey operations for Making the Cut.
“To be honest, it was a great set-up, but, at the same time, it was a TV show,” said Harvey. “I don’t want to make excuses but I had to go in there and break in brand new Reebok gear, which we’re thankful we got as a sponsor, but I had never worn Reebok in my life and to put that on and to be evaluated in games during the middle of summer was not the easiest thing to do.
“The Q (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) goalies had a little advantage because they had Reebok all year, but, for the most part, it was a fun time but things didn’t work out.”
Harvey was animated, as usual.
“My tirade,” he now says with a smile. “I lost a game in a shoot-out, so I decided to take liberties on a guy from the East. I made sure knowing that, to get yourself on TV, you’ve got to do something out of the ordinary.
“It was a wonderful experience, to go there and see myself on TV. People around the league can beak me all they want, but they’re watching me on TV and I had fun. It’s never a bad time to get free Reebok gear — I ended up with about $5,000 worth, so, all in all, it was a good time.
“As a guy to watch, you could watch me twice. You’d miss me pretty quick if you didn’t see the first couple shows. I was hanging out with a couple of CIS guys, (Calgary’s) Jarret Lukin and (Alberta’s) Dylan Stanley, and we all went there with the same attitude: It’s a TV show and it’s not going to make or break your hockey career. You have to go out and enjoy it. There are TV cameras on you all the time. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you got to make the most of it.”
DOG TALES: Captain Brent Twordik and Matt Girling will miss Friday’s game against Alberta due to suspensions for fighting. F Trent Adamus (abdomen) and D Scott Roy (shoulder) are out indefinitely . . . Among the 36 players in the Making the Cut TV show is one-time potential Huskie recruit Casey Lee, who attended the St. Louis Blues’ camp. Lee is from Kindersley, the same hometown as Huskie forward Jeff Schmidt. Lee, 21, played in the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice after moving up from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Kindersley Klippers.
