The view outside the Hockey Hall of Fame storefront inside Brookfield Place.
The crest of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The atrium in Brookfield Place that houses part of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Of course there’s Tim Horton’s just outside the entrance to the Hall.
The entrance to the Spirit of Hockey gift shop.
The main entrance into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
This portion of the Hall honors the Original Six arenas.
This turnstile is from Maple Leaf Gardens.
This showcase houses artifacts from Maple Leaf Gardens.
This showcase houses artifacts from Boston Garden.
A piece of net and a brick from the Boston Garden.
A retired Boston Garden Zamboni is displayed.
This showcase houses artifacts from the Montreal Forum.
This showcase houses artifacts from the original Madison Square Garden.
A puck from the final game at Madison Square Garden.
This showcase houses artifacts from the Chicago Stadium.
A brick from the Chicago Stadium.
This showcase houses artifacts from Detroit Olympia.
This brick is from Detroit Olympia.
Will O’Ree is to hockey what Jackie Robinson was to MLB. O’Ree is given his due in the Hockey Hall.
This is a Bobby Clarke jersey from the Philadelphia Flyers.
This Maple Leafs jersey was worn by defenseman Tim Horton (yes, of donut and coffee fame).
This part of the Hall has displays for many of the NHL’s dynasties.
One such was the Detroit Red Wings.
Another was the Montreal Canadiens.
There’s even a replica of the Candiens home dressing room from the Montreal Forum.
Some of Ken Dryden’s gear.
Ken Dryden’s goalie stick.
The New York Islanders’ dynasty timeline.
Bill Smith was the Isles’ goalie.
Denis Potvin’s helmet from his Islanders’ playing days.
The Edmonton Oilers took the NHL by storm once arriving from the WHA.
Mark Messier’s jersey from the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals.
A look at the various iterations of the Stanley Cup Championship rings.
The evolution of goalie equipment.
The evolution of skater equipment.
There’s an entire exhibit devoted to goalie masks.
This mask is of then-Toronto Maple Leaf, Jimmy Rutherford.
This mask is of then-Toronto Maple Leaf, Mike Palmateer.
This mask is of then-St. Louis Blues, Grant Fuhr.
This is the goal Wayne Gretzky scored his then NHL record-breaking 802nd career goal. No word on whether a goal from Alexander Ovechkin’s 895th goal is on its way.
There’s some talent highlighted in this showcase.
This display’s all about the goalies.
Eric Lindros is provided his own display.
As is Steve Yzerman.
A Mark Messier jersey from his junior days and a Pavel Datsyuk jersey from the Russian National Team.
The Western Michigan Broncos are the reigning NCAA Ice Hockey champions and have a jersey displayed.
This is an old Fort Wayne Komets jersey worn by player-coach Len Thomson.
There’s an entire wing devoted to hockey from around the world.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has a presence here.
Including its Hall of Fame.
Some USA items from both the women’s and men’s teams.
Hayley Wickenheiser is considered one of the greatest women’s players of all time.
Part of the display of IIHF Hall of Fame inductees.
The other part of the IIHF Hall of Fame inductees.
Jerseys from across the globe including, yes, Mexico!
The Canada Cup trophy along with Mario Lemieux’s jersey.
Dominik Hasek’s jersey from the 1998 Czech Republic Olympic Team which won the Gold Medal.
Vladislav Tretiak’s USSR jersey.
More love for Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser.
Angela Ruggiero is one of the USA’s best women’s players ever.
Who could forget this moment from 1980 in Lake Placid, NY?
The goal Canada’s Sidney Crosby scored the Gold Medal-clinching overtime goal at the 2012 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
There is an interactive area for fans to get into the action. This little guy was a bit overmatched trying to stop the shots.
There was some dome hockey but you have to pay to play:-(
This area features display cases for every NHL team.
The Edmonton Oilers’ display case.
The reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers are featured.
The Seattle Kraken’s display case.
Alexander Ovechkin’s pre-game warmup jersey from April 6, 2025 when he scored his record-setting 895th career goal.
Detroit Red Wings’ Steve Yzerman’s helmet from his final season.
The original Stanley Cup is literally in a bank vault.
Everthing you’d ever want to know about Lord Stanley.
The original Cup (top) and the original base (bottom).
Some of the retired rings from the Stanley Cup.
A replica of the Stanley Cup is on display in the Great Hall.
The names of the Detroit Red Wings back-to-back Cup winners 1997 and 1998.
The Red Wings’ names from 2008.
The Presidents Cup Trophy. (Awarded to the team with the most regular-season points.)
The Prince of Wales Trophy. (Awarded to the team that wins the Eastern Conference Championship.)
The Clarence Campbell Trophy. (Awarded to the team that wins the Western Conference Championship.)
The Hart Memorial Trophy. (Awarded to the NHL’s MVP.)
The James Norris Memorial Trophy. (Awarded to the best defensive player.)
The Calder Memorial Trophy. (Awarded to the best rookie.)
The Bill Masterston Memorial Trophy. (Awarded to the player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport.)
The Conn Smythe Trophy. (Awarded to the playoff MVP.)
The Maurice Richard Trophy. (Awarded to the top goal scorer
The Ted Lindsay Award. (Awarded by the NHLPA to the most outstanding player from the regular season.)
Longtime Detroit Red Wings’ owner MIke Illitch’s recognition.
Detroit Red Wings’ Sid Abel recognition.
Longtime coach Scotty Bowman’s recognition.
Detroit Red Wings’ Stanley Cup winners Igor Larionov and Steve Yzerman are recognized side-by-side.
Longtime voice of the Detroit Red Wings’ Bruce Martyn’s Foster Hewitt Award recognition.
Longtime player and Detroit Red Wings’ color commentator Mickey Redmond’s Foster Hewitt Award recognition.
Longtime broadcaster Mike Emrick’s Foster Hewitt Award recognition.
Longtime USA Today hockey writer Kevin Allen’s Elmer Ferguson Award recognition.
Me and the Stanley Cup.
Paul Kariya was one of the first college players to I covered to make a splash in the NHL.
The 1977 movie Slap Shot has a cult-like following in the hockey community.
The Charlestown Chiefs’ jersey from the movie Slap Shot is displayed.
The outside of the Hockey Hall of Fame at night.
The exterior of the Hockey Hall’s store.
The “Our Game” sculpture is displayed in front of the Hockey Hall.
This marker was erected in 2000 and displays the commemorative silver dollar minted in 1997 to celebreate the 25th anniversary of the Summit Series between Canada and the USSR, played in 1972.
You gotta love museum curators with a sense of humor.!
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Video
My walk up and into the Great Hall.
A look at the Great Hall’s dome.
The Hockey HoF has an interactive area.
Audio
NHL and Canadian hockey historian, Liam Maguire, joins me to talk about all things Canada hockey.
Fun Facts
Traveling Party – Doug and his friend, Jim
Last Time Visited – Doug last visited the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007 as part of weeklong tour of Halls of Fame with his father. This was Jim’s first visit.
The Royal Treatment – The Hockey Hall of Fame gives its honorees and its historic trophies (nearly everyone named after someone[s] with historical significance in the game] the full white glove treatment. They’re all housed in the historic Bank of Montreal portion of the HoF in what’s known as The Great Hall. To say it’s ornate would be a slight understatement. The stained glass high atop the domed structure is absolutely breathtaking and the entirety of the surroundings make visitors feel as though they’re among royalty which, I suppose, is the entire point and isn’t all that inaccurate. This is hockey royalty, after all. On one wall of glass you have Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, and Bobby Orr. On another there’s Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Patrick Roy.
Don’t Sleep on Brookfield Place – While The Great Hall is probably the most notable part of the Hockey Hall experience, visitors would do well to enjoy the views of the atrium out front in Brookfield Place, the skyscraper complex that houses the brunt of the HoF. Not to be missed is the Allen Lambert Galleria that connects Bay Street with Sam Pollock Square. It is absolutely stunning visually and, if you choose to take the escalator down, you’ll stumble upon a bevy food emporiums in a food court.
Running List of States Traveled To/Through (26 total) – Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, & Wyoming
Running List of Countries Traveled To/Through (8 total) – Argentina, Canada (Ontario & Quebec), England, Japan, Korea, Scotland, United States, & Wales
Distance Traveled – 221 miles from my home to the Hockey Hall. We’ll save the return trip for Event No. 28 (Leafs-Canadiens NHL Opening Night).
Cumulative Distance Traveled After 27 Events – 67,808 miles
Up Next: As referenced above, while in Toronto we also took in the Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs’ NHL season opener.
