Toronto’s Top 10 : Hockey Hall of Fame

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This shrine to Canada’s favorite sport celebrates all
things hockey, including those who have achieved greatness in the game.
Housed in part in a beautiful former bank building dating to 1885,
which is incorporated into BCE Place,
this Hall of Fame contains the most comprehensive collection of hockey
artifacts and memorabilia in the world, among them the first Stanley Cup
trophy. Interactive exhibits run the gamut from a multimedia trivia
game that tests your hockey knowledge to the more physical challenge of
playing goalie against a puck-shooting video projection of hockey star
Wayne Gretzky.

  • 30 Yonge St (enter through BCE Place concourse)

  • 416 360 7765


  • www.hhof.com

  • Open
    Labour Day– mid-Jun: 10am–5pm Mon–Fri, 9:30am–6pm Sat, 10:30am–5pm Sun;
    late Jun–Labour Day 9:30am–6pm Mon–Sat, 10am–6pm Sun. Holiday hours may
    vary; call ahead.

  • Adm: $13/$9; under 3s free


Canada’s Game

Although several countries
claim to have invented ice hockey, Canada calls the game its own. Even
so, its origins are hotly contested. Students at King’s College in
Windsor, Nova Scotia, are said to have put puck to ice in the early
1800s. Others credit Micmac Indians in Nova Scotia, also in the early
1800s. Whatever the origin, British soldiers stationed at the Halifax,
Nova Scotia, garrison were playing the game by the 1850s, as were
military men in Kingston, Ontario.






Hockey Hall of Fame façade

Many of the eateries in BCE Place have seating in the spectacular galleria. A food court on the lower level provides quick snacks for those on the go.


If your energy flags,
take a seat in either of the Hall of Fame’s two theater venues to watch a
retrospective highlights video or an interactive multimedia
presentation.


Not until its
inclusion in the 1920 Olympics and the formation of the NHL in 1934 was
hockey seen as serious sport rather than recreation

Top 10 Highlights

  1. Stanley Cup

    One
    of the world’s best-known sports trophies, the original Stanley Cup is
    on display here, as is the current one when not with the reigning team.
    Named for Canada’s sixth Governor General, who proposed a yearly
    challenge cup, it was first presented in 1893.




  2. Great Hall

    Players
    and the icons of hockey are celebrated in this 45-ft- (14-m-) high
    former banking hall. Giants of the game are given their due on the
    Honoured Members Wall, and all major NHL trophies are on display.

  3. Be a Player Zone

    On
    a faux ice rink, complete with arena boards and multimedia scoreboard,
    visitors can attempt to score a goal against a life-sized video
    projection of Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour. In another rink,
    it’s your turn to play goalie as video images of hockey greats Wayne
    Gretzky and Mark Messier take real shots.





  4. Our Game

    Exuberant young
    players leap over the boards for a hockey game in this larger-than-life
    bronze sculpture by Ontario artist Edie Parker. Located just outside the
    museum at the corner of Yonge and Front streets, it is a popular
    backdrop for photographs.




  5. It’s Your Call

    For
    a $2 coin, you can rant or rave on any hockey topic you wish. A video
    clip of your moment of fame is broadcast on the Hockey Hall of Fame
    website for 10 days.

  6. Broadcast Zone

    Use
    a high-tech navigational interface – just point and it plays – to
    custom-design your tour of great moments in hockey broadcast history,
    from early radio clips to present-day television excerpts. A highlight
    is the broadcast of the tension-filled last seconds of the 1972 World
    Summit Series, in which Canada scored on Russia.

  7. Goalie Mask Exhibit

    From
    a leather mask worn in the 1930s to one exemplifying today’s
    sophisticated engineering, this display includes many strange examples
    of face protection that have been personalized by goalies over the
    years.




  8. Montreal Canadiens Locker Room

    The
    only thing missing from this re-created locker room from the old
    Montreal Forum is the players. Their jerseys and equipment are jumbled
    about, as if they might swoop in any moment to suit up.




  9. Bank of Montreal Building

    Few
    of the original features of this 1885 rococo beauty are visible inside,
    but the façade retains its intricate carvings representing human
    endeavors such as agriculture, music, and industry.

  10. Spirit of Hockey Shop

    The
    museum’s exit takes visitors through this shop. Hockey-themed
    merchandise includes a wide selection of team jerseys, sticks, and
    smaller items such as mugs and cups emblazoned with logos.