Montreal Canadiens' History in Canada

Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario has NHL Hockey Exhibits

Jan 31, 2009

The Montreal Canadiens' centennial year is celebrated at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.

One of the best reasons to visit Toronto right now is to see the Montreal Canadiens history being showcased at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The club began on December 4, 1909, at the Windsor Hotel in Montréal, before the NHL even existed.

The Montréal Canadiens hockey franchise was born and would go on to win a record 24 Stanley Cups: five of them were won consecutively ending in 1960 and another four-win dynasty started in 1976. There is a lot for this organization to be proud of.

Montreal Canadiens History

At the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, 100 years of franchise history are being showcased in the Montréal Canadiens Centennial Exhibit, running into the start of the 2009 season.

Legendary names like Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson and Bernard “Boom Boom” Geoffrion are all being honoured with artifact and video tributes, multi-media shows, and a replicated Canadiens dressing room.

“The Montreal Canadiens are the most storied franchise in the history of hockey, so we are very pleased to honour 100 years of Canadiens hockey as part of our Induction Weekend,” said Hockey Hall of Fame Curator Phil Pritchard.

Montreal Canadiens Centennial Celebrations

Special artifacts on display include Jacques Plante’s first goalie mask, Georges Vézina’s final game stick and skates, as well as sticks, pucks and jerseys from milestone games throughout the Canadiens’ history.

Don’t miss the goalie pads worn by Lorne “Gump” Worsley during the 1969-70 season, or Maurice “Rocket” Richard’s 500th-goal puck from 1957. He was the first NHL player to reach this milestone.

Montreal Canadiens NHL Hockey

Video archives make up the most satisfying part of the Centennial exhibit. The younger generation can soak up the hockey history they were too young to watch live, while older fans can relive the excitement of the games that held them captive so many years ago.

Videos of 15 Montréal Canadiens Honoured Members, such as Scotty Bowman, Yvan Cournoyer and Serge Savard can be seen in vintage footage retraces their hockey past.

A perfect way to end the visit is to wander through the Stanley Cup Dynasties exhibit. Nine teams, including the Canadiens, are showcased here for their incredible feat of winning the Cup several years in a row.

This is also where visitors can walk into a replica Habs dressing room as it was in the old Montréal Forum, complete with jerseys, equipment and much nostalgia. Classic clips loop on the dressing room TV, so sit down on the bench and feel the thrill all over again.

Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario

The Hockey Hall of Fame was officially founded in 1943 by the NHL, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and the City of Toronto.

Conn Smythe, past owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was also instrumental in settling it into its Canadian National Exhibition grounds location. Now housed in BCE Place, the exhibits fill up 57,000 square feet of space.

Toronto, Ontario Travel

For help with trip planning, hotel bookings and seeing other attractions while in Toronto, contact Tourism Toronto (1-800-499-2514).

The copyright of the article Montreal Canadiens' History in Canada in Ontario Travel is owned by Lori Henry. Permission to republish Montreal Canadiens' History in Canada in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.