Toronto, Ontario
Hockey Hall of Fame
Four members of the Frozen Foursome+ made the pilgrimage to Toronto to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame during the off day of the college tournament. The Hall was established in 1943; it has been in its current location since 1993.
Dedicated to Mr Hockey
Currently, there is an exhibit honoring #’s 9 & 99: Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. A nice video tribute on both of the legendary players, as well as exhibits highlighting their connection.
One section of the Wayne Gretzky exhibit
One can not argue with the contribution both made to the game of hockey: Mr Hockey & The Great One.
Hobey Baker’s induction plaque
The plaques honoring the players that have been inducted and the various trophies are displayed in the Great Hall, which is in the historic Bank of Montreal building.
The Great Hall’s ceiling
The Great Hall is a stunning room, the highlight of which is the 24 fanned-panel, stained glass dome, with eight stained glass circles, and even more detailed panels on the outer edge and inner section.
Herbie’s induction plaque
The Bank of Montreal building, which is home to The Great Hall was constructed in 1885.
The Original: Lord Stanley’s Cup
The original Stanley Cup, and the retired bands from the current cup, are stored in the old bank’s vault. Now known as Lord Stanley’s Vault.
The Canadiens are well represented
The HHof receives around 300,000 visitors a year. This year, with the Frozen Four held in nearby Buffalo, NY, there was a definite influx of college hockey fans while we visited.
Conn Smythe Trophy
Miracle on Ice
There is an entire section dedicated to international hockey, which includes Olympic Hockey. A large exhibit honoring the 1980 Miracle on Ice team was prominent.
They do play hockey Down Under
A hockey fan could spend several days exploring the Hall. I know that all of our group would have loved to spend more time than we had, but it was a well worth the trip across the border to experience the history of hockey.
A very small section of the exhibit dedicated to the evolution of the goalie mask
