Hockey Hall of Fame facts for kids
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The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
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| Established | 1943 |
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| Location | 30 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario M5E 1X8 |
| Founder | James T. Sutherland |
| Inductees | 299 players 115 builders 16 on-ice officials 430 total |
The Hockey Hall of Fame (also known as French: Temple de la renommée du hockey in French) is a special museum and hall of fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is all about the exciting history of ice hockey.
Inside, you can find amazing exhibits about famous players, legendary teams, and incredible National Hockey League (NHL) records. It also displays cool hockey items and NHL trophies, including the famous Stanley Cup.
The Hockey Hall of Fame was started in 1943 by James T. Sutherland. The very first group of honored members joined in 1945. At first, it didn't have a permanent home. It moved to Toronto in 1958 and opened its first building in 1961. Today, it's located in Downtown Toronto inside Brookfield Place. Since 1998, it has also featured exhibits from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Contents
What is the Hockey Hall of Fame?
The Hockey Hall of Fame is a place where hockey's greatest heroes are remembered. It celebrates players, coaches, and others who have made a big impact on the game.
Who Gets Into the Hall of Fame?
Each year, a special committee of 18 people chooses new members. These members can be players, "builders," or on-ice officials. Builders are people like coaches, general managers, team owners, or commentators. They are people who helped grow the game. In 2010, a new group was added for female players.
New members are officially welcomed in a ceremony held every November. After the ceremony, there's a special "Hockey Hall of Fame Game" between the Toronto Maple Leafs and another team. As of 2023, 299 players (including ten women), 115 builders, and 16 on-ice officials have been inducted.
A Look Back: How the Hall of Fame Started
The idea for the Hockey Hall of Fame came from James T. Sutherland. He was a former president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). Sutherland wanted the Hall of Fame to be in Kingston, Ontario. He believed Kingston was where hockey first began.
In 1943, the NHL and CAHA agreed to create a Hall of Fame in Kingston. It was first called the "International Hockey Hall of Fame." Its goal was to honor great hockey players and raise money for a permanent building.
The first nine honored players joined on April 30, 1945. These included legends like Howie Morenz and Georges Vezina. But even then, the Hall of Fame still didn't have a permanent home.
Sutherland passed away in 1955. By 1958, not enough money had been raised to build the Hall in Kingston. So, the NHL decided to move its support to Toronto. In January 1958, the NHL and the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) agreed to build a new Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Opening in Toronto
A temporary Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit opened in Toronto in August 1958. It was part of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame at Exhibition Place. Many people visited it, so the NHL and CNE decided to build a permanent home there. The NHL paid for the new building, and construction started in 1960.
The first permanent Hockey Hall of Fame opened on August 26, 1961. The Canadian Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, was there for the opening. Over 750,000 people visited in the first year! Admission was free until 1980.
By 1986, the Hall of Fame needed more space. So, the board decided to find a new home. The Hall moved out of the Exhibition Place building in 1992. Its new location was in the BCE Place complex (now Brookfield Place). This new spot included a historic Bank of Montreal building. The new Hockey Hall of Fame officially opened on June 18, 1993. This new location is much bigger, with lots of space for exhibits. Today, over 300,000 people visit the Hall of Fame each year.
Inside the Hall: What You Can See!
The Hockey Hall of Fame has 15 different exhibit areas. These areas cover a huge space, about 60,000 square feet! Visitors can see amazing trophies, special items, and equipment worn by players in famous games.
The Esso Great Hall
This area is like a "Cathedral to the icons of Hockey." It has pictures and information about every honored member of the Hall of Fame. The most important item here is the Stanley Cup. For part of the year, a copy is on display while the real Cup travels. The original Stanley Cup and other old rings are kept in a special bank vault. All the current National Hockey League trophies are also displayed there.
The NHL Zone
This is a large area with displays about the NHL. The "NHL Today" area shows current teams and players. The "NHL Retro" displays have items and information about every NHL team, past and present. The "NHL Legends" area features changing exhibits about honored members. The "NHL Milestones" displays show famous records, like Darryl Sittler's ten-point game and Wayne Gretzky's all-time points record.
There's also an exhibit about Stanley Cup dynasties. These are teams that dominated the NHL for many years. You can even see a copy of the Montreal Canadiens' dressing room from their old arena! The St. Louis Bar and Grill Arena Zone is about hockey at all levels in North America. It includes exhibits on women's and disabled hockey leagues. This area also has trophies from many leagues and a full-size Zamboni machine!
Interactive Fun: Be a Player Zone
In the NHLPA Be A Player Zone, you can have some interactive fun! At NHLPA Gametime, you can shoot real pucks at a computer simulation of a goalie like Ed Belfour. You can also pretend to be a goalie yourself. You'll try to block shots from computer simulations of players like Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, and Mark Messier. The TSN/RDS Broadcast Zone lets you see how hockey broadcasting works. You can even record messages that might be shown on the Hall of Fame's website!
Hockey Around the World: The World of Hockey Zone
While many exhibits focus on the NHL, there's a big section about hockey outside North America. The World of Hockey Zone opened in 1998. It's a large area dedicated to international hockey. This includes the World Championships and Olympic competition. It also has profiles on all International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) member countries.
The IIHF agreed to move its exhibits to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. The World of Hockey Zone lists each IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame member by country and year. It also has hockey jerseys from many national teams. You can also learn about the "Triple Gold Club" members. These are players who have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.
The zone also displays items from the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Other famous events shown include the 1972 Summit Series and the World Cup of Hockey. A new part of this zone is "Women's Hockey: Celebrating Excellence." This exhibit explores the history of women's hockey, from its early days to the PWHL.
How Members Are Chosen
As of 2009, new members can join the Hockey Hall of Fame as players, builders, or on-ice officials. The "builders" category includes coaches, general managers, team owners, and others who have helped hockey grow. The category for on-ice officials was added in 1961.
The Selection Process
Candidates for the Hall of Fame are nominated by an 18-person committee. This committee includes Hall of Fame members, hockey experts, and media personalities. They represent different parts of the world where hockey is popular.
Each committee member can nominate one person in each category every year. The committee then meets in June. They vote by secret ballot. A person needs 75% of the votes to be inducted. In any given year, a maximum of four players, two builders, and one on-ice official can be inducted.
Players and on-ice officials must have stopped playing or officiating for at least three years to be considered. Builders can be active or retired.
The waiting period was sometimes waived for very famous players. Ten players, including Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, were inducted without waiting. After Gretzky's induction in 1999, the Hall decided that the waiting period would no longer be waived, except in very special cases.
In 2010, new rules were added. Male and female players are now considered separately. A maximum of two women can be inducted as players each year. Also, builders and on-ice officials are considered on the same ballot. A combined maximum of two can be inducted each year.
Media Honorees
There are also "Media honorees." The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is given to great hockey writers. The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is for outstanding hockey broadcasters. These honorees are celebrated with a display at the Hall of Fame. However, they are not considered full inductees.
Induction Ceremony
The induction ceremony was held at the Hall of Fame from 1959 to 1974. After that, it moved to different locations in Toronto. Sometimes, it was held in other cities like Vancouver or Detroit. Since 1993, the ceremony has been held at the current Hall of Fame building.
The ceremony was first shown on television in 1994. In 1999, the "Hockey Hall of Fame game" was started. This is a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and another team. A special ceremony honoring the new inductees is held before the game.
See also
- Ford Performance Centre, home of Hockey Hall of Fame archive and research centre
- List of museums in Toronto
