Original Hockey Hall of Fame facts for kids
 |
|
| Former name | International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum |
|---|---|
| Established | 1943 |
| Location | Invista Centre, Kingston, Ontario |
| Type | Museum |
The Original Hockey Hall of Fame is a special museum. It celebrates the history of ice hockey in Canada. You can find it in Kingston, Ontario. This museum was meant to be the first big hockey Hall of Fame. But, things changed, and the main Hockey Hall of Fame ended up in Toronto.
A special building for the museum opened in 1965. For a while, from 1992 to 1997, it even showed items from the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Later, the IIHF got its own Hall of Fame. In 2013, the museum changed its name to the Original Hockey Hall of Fame. Now, it really focuses on hockey's past. It also highlights how people from Kingston helped hockey grow.
Contents
How the Hall of Fame Started
The International Hockey Hall of Fame began on September 10, 1943. It was set up as a non-profit group. The National Hockey League (NHL) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) helped create it.
A man named James T. Sutherland worked hard to start it. He used to be a president of the CAHA. He believed Kingston was where ice hockey truly began. So, he wanted the Hall of Fame there. In 1943, the NHL and CAHA agreed to put it in Kingston.
By 1945, the CAHA promised to give money each year. This money would help build the museum. They expected to give about $4,000 to $5,000. The first players were added to the Hall of Fame on April 30, 1945. But, the museum still didn't have its own building.
Why Toronto Got the Main Hall of Fame
James T. Sutherland, who was so important to Kingston's dream, passed away in 1955. By 1958, the museum organizers in Kingston still didn't have enough money. They couldn't start building the museum.
Clarence Campbell, who was the NHL President then, got tired of waiting. He decided to stop supporting Kingston. Instead, he made a deal with the Canadian National Exhibition. This led to a new Hall of Fame being built in Toronto.
Jack Roxburgh, the CAHA president, felt sad about this. He thought Canada didn't need two hockey halls of fame. He said it was a "tragedy" that nothing was built when Sutherland was alive. In January 1962, the CAHA officially chose Toronto over Kingston.
Kingston's Own Museum Opens
Even with this big problem, the people in charge of the International Hockey Hall of Fame kept going. In 1962, the City of Kingston gave them money. This helped them build a new home. In 1965, the museum moved into its new building. It was right next to the Kingston Memorial Centre.
Working with the IIHF
In 1990, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) made a deal. They agreed to show their hockey items at the Kingston museum. IIHF director Roman Neumayer wanted people in North America to learn about European hockey history. He thought Kingston was a great spot for the IIHF Hall of Fame. This was because Kingston focused on amateur hockey, like in Europe.
The IIHF loaned over 4,000 items to the museum. This was for five years, from 1992 to 1997. The Kingston City Council even gave money to help build a bigger international hockey museum. But, the partnership ended in 1997. The IIHF left because a new building in downtown Kingston wasn't being built fast enough.
The Hall's New Home
Today, the Hall of Fame is located at the Invista Centre. It reopened in the spring of 2016. It has new displays and videos. One video is called The Cradle of Hockey. It is narrated by famous hockey personality Don Cherry.
What You Can See
At its old location, the museum had two floors. The first floor had displays about famous players like Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky. It also had exhibits about the Original Six teams.
The second floor showed the Hall of Fame's honored members. There were also displays about hockey players from Kingston. You could see how ice skates and hockey sticks changed over time. The museum had jerseys worn by legends like Gordie Howe. It also had old skates and sticks from the 1800s. A championship banner from the 1914 Toronto Blueshirts was also on display. Outside the building, there was a giant square hockey puck!
Honored Members
The Hockey Hall of Fame has honored many people. This includes nine "builders" (people who helped grow the sport) and 33 players. However, only two people have been added since 1952. No one has been added since 1966. All of these honored members were also included in the main Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Historic Hockey Series
Every February since 1969, the Hall of Fame holds a special event. It's called the Historic Hockey Series. This event is a game and a show. It recreates the first organized hockey game. That game happened in 1886 on the Kingston Harbour. It was played between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada.
In this series, they use old-style hockey sticks and uniforms. They also follow the original rules from that time. This includes using a square hockey puck. Each team has seven players, and they don't pass the puck forward. Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada play. Also, the 2nd Regiment from the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery joins in. They represent the soldiers who were in Kingston in the 1880s. The teams play in a round-robin tournament. Since 2006, this series has been held on the outdoor rink at Kingston's downtown Market Square.
People Who Helped
- Bill Fitsell (1923–2020), a Canadian sports writer and historian, was a notable curator.
