“Body” Landed a Blow... For Harvard Hockey

On the way to making a prediction about this weekend’s games against Rensselaer and Union, current IOP Fellow, and former Governor of Minnesota, Jesse “The Body” Ventura said that he was happy to make a prediction about the Crimson, but felt that Harvard hockey still owed him “a debt of gratitude” from the late 1980’s.

It seems that Ventura—who was born in Minneapolis and has constantly returned to the Land of 10,000 Lakes despite career stops in Vietnam as a Navy SEAL and in professional wrestling—lent a hand in directing a talented young man from Anoka, Minn., to spend four years of his life in Cambridge.

Tod Hartje ’90 mentioned in a conversation with Ventura that he was trying to decide whether to go to colleg—and play hockey—at Harvard or in his native Minnesota. And it was Ventura who told the left-shot center ice-man that he was a fool not to go to Harvard if given the opportunity, just not in so many words.

Hartje, who was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 1987, pulled on a Crimson sweater for four seasons. During the Harvard national championship season of 1988-1989, Hartje recorded four goals and 17 assists. In four seasons, he recorded more than 50 points—and more than 100 penalty minutes!

After Harvard, Hartje went on to play hockey for Kiev Sokol in Russia, later writing a book about his experience in the former Soviet Union entitled From Behind the Red Line: An American Hockey Player in Russia.

In 1991, he returned to America, and played professional minor league hockey for the Providence Bruins and the Adirondack Red Wings, among other teams, before retiring in 1996.

Now with a fellowship at the IOP, Ventura can see up close the program to which he added an important part in the midst of the Crimson’s banner years.

Perhaps then Harvard Hockey Faithful really do owe Ventura a debt of gratitude.

—Staff writer Timothy M. McDonald can be reached at tmcdonal@fas.harvard.edu.