Best mascots

Harvey the Hound is Calgary's famous team mascot. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)

It’s the most famous tongue snatching of all-time.

In an incident that belies the much-celebrated relationship between man and dog, Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish once ripped the tongue of Flames mascot Harvey the Hound right out of the Calgary canine’s furry mouth.

Seems like an ironic form of retribution given the one thing Harvey never does is verbally hound the visiting team. In his line of work, nobody does.

Still, his antics behind the Oilers bench during a 2003 installment of the Battle of Alberta were enough to incite MacTavish.

But Harvey had his backers. In a show of solidarity for their fellow entertainer, many mascots showed up at the 2003 NHL All-Star Game, held just a few weeks after the incident, with newly attached tongues wagging out.

Montreal fans have been treated to Youppi’s antics for many years in all seasons. The ambiguous collection of orange hair worked Montreal Expos baseball games from 1979 until the team moved to Washington in 2004. He was the first mascot to be tossed from a Major League Baseball game (at the behest of Los Angles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda) and is one of the three mascots to be honored by baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Youppi hasn’t missed a beat since moving over to the Bell Centre, thrilling Canadiens fans young and old with his energetic routines.  

This Top 10 and many more can be found in the THN’s The Ultimate Book of Hockey Lists. All photos via Getty Images.

THN Top 10 Mascots

1		HARVEY THE HOUND Calgary Flames (Photo by: Gerry Thomas)
2		S.J. SHARKIE San Jose Sharks (Photo by: Dave Sandford)
3		WILD WING Anaheim Ducks (Photo by: Debora Robinson)
4		YOUPPI! Montreal Canadiens (Photo by: Ladislas Kadyszewski)
5		CARLTON THE BEAR Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by: Dave Sandford)
6		GNASH Nashville Predators (Photo by: Kevin C. Cox)
7		THUNDERBUG Tampa Bay Lightning (Photo by: Bruce Bennett)
8		THRASH Atlanta Thrashers (Photo by: Kevin C. Cox)
9		STANLEY C. PANTHER Florida Panthers (Photo by: Eliot J. Schechter)
10		SPARTACAT Ottawa Senators (Photo by: Phillip MacCallum)

The THN.com Top 10 appears Wednesdays only on TheHockeyNews.com.

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