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The Hockey Hall of Fame was the only bright spot on my last trip to Toronto. The weather was hot and muggy, the people were short and agressive, and the city itself is concrete on concrete, cement on cement.
The Hockey Hall of Fame, however, is an absolute treat. So, if you're unfortunate enough to get stuck in TO for a few days, take in the hall. The exhibits are fabulous, with memorabilia from every era conceivable. Even casual sports fans are wowed by some of the goaltending equipment on display; the wall of masks itself is worth the price of admission.
There are odes to hockey's greatest players, tributes to its greatest teams, and huge exhibits for the Original Six, the Great One, and the Stanley Cup.
And who doesn't want to see the Cup? There's a certain magic that goes with this, sport's most famous trophy. The lore associated with Lord Stanley's mug is so variant, it sounds like fiction. The Cup has been punted into the bottom of swimming pools by showoff Chicago Blackhawk scoring legends, danced on by seedy Edmonton strippers, and left on a street corner by drunken Montreal Canadiens who piled into a post-party cab. (It sat in a passerby's living room for almost a week before he called to say he'd found hockey's Holy Grail.) It's been groped, fondled, kissed, caressed, slept with, sweat upon, drunk out of, and pissed in (not necessarily in that order, and hopefully not all in the same night). It's legendary, and worth a gander for even non-sports fans.
I'll write more later, and hopefully I'll find my pictures -- this place is like a cathedral for the sporting soul.
Equipment: Bring your camera, and a few bucks to spend at the souvenir shop.
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Phone: 416-360-7765
Address: 30 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5E 1X8
Website: www.hhof.com
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on Mar 15, 2003
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