Nov. 18, 2004

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. - In a rare opportunity afforded by a Canadian reality television series, Todd Harkins was given a second chance to make a first impression at the National Hockey League level. Inspired by his nine-year-old son, Todd Harkins gave professional hockey another shot, 16 years after he was drafted.

Originally, Miami alumnus Todd Harkins never thought he would be a professional hockey player.

The Cleveland, Ohio, native didn't enter Miami's hockey program with the belief that it would act as a stepping-stone to a career in professional hockey; Harkins enrolled at Miami with another plan.

"I was pre-med," said Harkins. "I thought I was going to be a heart surgeon, not a professional hockey player."

Harkins's talent on the ice altered the course of his fate. In 110 games as a Miami forward, Harkins amassed 44 goals and 31 assists for 75 points. Fourteen years after his departure, Harkins remains in the Miami record book, tied for ninth position for most goals in a season (27), tied for fourth for power-play goals in a season (13) and sitting atop the list for the most penalties in a season (62).

Harkins was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NHL draft by the Calgary Flames. "It was a whirlwind," Harkins said of his the attention he drew from the hockey community. "Nobody had ever heard of me. I was awed with all of the attention."

After scoring a career-high 27 goals in 1989-90, Harkins elected to forgo his final year of eligibility and leave Miami after his junior season. "I felt that I'd accomplished all that I could playing college hockey."

Harkins bounced around after leaving Miami. Primarily, Harkins played in the IHL and AHL, though he also skated in 48 games with the Calgary Flames and the Hartford Whalers. Harkins spent the latter part of his professional career in Germany.

While living in Berlin, Harkins and his wife, Kirsten, observed that their oldest son, Nicklas, was having difficulty lifting his arms. Nicklas walked on his toes and his fingers were slightly curled. Kirsten took Nicklas in for testing, but full results didn't arrive until the Harkins family had returned to Vancouver, where they spent their summers.

"We got back from my year, 2000-2001, in Germany, and we were sent a letter based on the fact that he had done tests through the wintertime, noting that he had a metabolic disorder," said Harkins. Nicklas Harkins was diagnosed with Mucoploysaccharidoses (MPS), a rare genetic disorder. "Children with the disorder lack an enzyme in their body to basically break down mucopolysaccharides, which are sugars, and, over time, they store in the body and destroy the body. Nicklas's life expectancy when we got that letter was early 20s."

Todd Harkins put his hockey career on hold indefinitely.

Though no longer playing professionally, Harkins never strayed far from hockey. He took a job as the hockey director at a Vancouver athletic club. To raise money for the Canadian MPS Society, Harkins organized the MPS Cup, a charity hockey game that gives donors the opportunity to play with and against former NHL players. Harkins also landed a small role in "Miracle," the Disney movie that portrayed the gold-medal victory of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.

"I stood in line for about five hours to actually get up to see one of the casting directors. My resume was in front of him and he couldn't believe that I was willing to do it."

Still, Harkins had to go through a two-week tryout process before being named to the "Miracle" cast.

Harkins was cast as a Russian, legendary left-winger Valery Kharlamov. "To me, it didn't matter what I played, I just wanted to be a part of remaking of that great experience. In 1980 I was 12 years old, I remember exactly where I was when they won that game. It was special to me because I was the only American on the set who had actually lived that experience."

In 2004, Harkins moved from the silver screen to the television screen.

Ryan Walter, a 15-year NHL alumni and a friend who had worked on the "Miracle" set, was designing workouts to be used in the tryouts for CBC's new reality television show "Making the Cut." Harkins agreed to skate one of Walter's workouts as a demonstration for the show's producers.

"(The producers) called me off halfway through the skate and asked me who I was...that prompted them to pursue me. It looked like I could play and I had a story," said Harkins, who refused the offer for a few weeks before giving in to the temptation of having another shot at the NHL and making a dream come true for his son. "(Nicklas's) birthday wish for his ninth birthday was to see his dad play in the National Hockey League. So, I gave it a go."

"Making the Cut" features Canada's best unsigned hockey talents as they are whittled down from the over 4,000 who participated in the initial tryout, to 68 players who are invited to tryout camp, to the six best, who, at the end of the series, earn an invitation to training camp with one of the NHL's six Canadian teams.

"It was an incredible experience for me, just to see how many people actually love this game and enjoy playing this game and still have a dream to maybe some day play in the National Hockey League and that's what the show (is) about, to give these people the opportunity to play."

Harkins's biggest fans are arguably his three sons, who watch "Making the Cut" every Tuesday night. "They don't know the outcome, although they think they do. They watch with anticipation."

While Harkins has played professional hockey, worked as an MPS activist and starred on a reality television show, he hasn't forgotten about the education he received at Miami - both on and off the ice.

"I promised (coach) George (Gwozdecky) that I would get (my degree) at some point," said Harkins, who hasn't completed his degree yet, but expresses an interest in making good on the promise made to his former coach.

For the time being, however, Harkins is busy making Nicklas's wish to see his dad play in the National Hockey League a reality.

"To be able to play again in the NHL and to wear one of those jerseys and go out there and represent a team and play at that high level, it would be a dream come true again. I always felt that when I played (in the NHL) before, it happened so fast. I was young at that time and I didn't get to savor all of those little experiences. To be able to play again would be a special experience, one that Nicklas would really enjoy."