From: colling@ann-arbor.applicon.slb.com (Michael Collingridge)
Subject: Re: Hockey guest spots...
Organization: Schlumberger CAD/CAM; Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA)
Summary: Tod Hartje on Letterman
Lines: 33

In article 27867 of rec.sport.hockey sclark@epas.utoronto.ca 
(Susan Clark) asks:
>Hi guys....
>        I'm looking to answe a bit of trivia.  What hockeplayers have
>appeared on major talk shows on TV (i.e., Letterman, Carson/Leno,
>Arsenio, etc.....i.e. shows of a national nature--include Canadian equivalents
>if you can think of any)?  This can include NHL, Olympic, and World Champion-
>ship players.  I'm pretty sure I've seen Gretzky and Lemieux, but I was
>wondering if there were any others.....
>

I am not so sure about the celebrated players of the game, but Tod Hartje,
who played for Harvard in college and then went on to play in the AHL
(initially for Moncton and currently for Providence-- thanks to Daryl 
Turner for the update!) appeared on David Letterman's show about two
years ago now.

Tod has the distinction of being the first American born player to go 
and play in the former Soviet Union. This was arranged by Jets GM Mike 
Smith while Tod was playing in Moncton at about the time all those 
European players were coming over to North America to play in the NHL.

Tod spent a year playing in Russia and played with or against some of
the Russian players who have just entered the NHL in the last two years.
He wrote a book on his experiences called "Behind the Red Line" (check it
out!) and appeared on the Letterman show to talk about them.

-- Mike 

Note: I hope I have my facts straight. It has been a year since I
read Tod's book. I wanted to dig the book out to double check, but 
realized I lent it to a friend, and he hasn't returned the book yet! 
(Just wait 'til I get a hold of him...)