About the Hall
Captain James T. Sutherland with
then-NHL President Clarence Campbell
Circa 1947
Exciting new displays on the Memorial Cup and more
The Original Hockey Hall of Fame is open from Noon until 6pm, Thursday through Sunday.
Unveiled in May of 2022, our Memorial Cup exhibit tells the story of how the revered trophy began in Kingston in 1919 to honour Canadian hockey players who were killed in the First World War. In addition to the display, the Memorial Cup exhibit will include artifacts from Taylor Hall, Doug Gilmour and Don Cherry.
Other upgraded features include:
• Our newly renovated William J. Henderson theatre now offers a large 85 inch TV that was donated by Brad and Mike Smith of Smith Boys Coatings Corp.
• Visitors can see a high-quality 10-minute video, narrated by Don Cherry, that tells Kingston’s hockey history, including the first game played in 1886 and the story of Kingston being named as the original site of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1943.
• Hockey cards that are more than 100 years old, including some of the first ever produced.
• A kiosk displaying hundreds of pictures, showing every Kingston-born player in the NHL.
There's so much to see for hockey fans at the Original Hockey Hall of Fame. We look forward to seeing you there.
Larry Paquette
President
The Hall's location
The Original Hockey Hall of Fame is located at Kingston's Invista Centre, a four-pad arena complex on Gardiners Road with easy access to Highway 401. See hockey's rarest and most unique artifacts, take a stroll through hockey history and learn about the evolution of the game and the prominent role Kingston played in its development.
You'll view hockey's only square puck, used in the first organized game in Kingston in 1886, Canada's first Olympic hockey gold medal won in 1924, hockey's oldest jersey from Queen's University (1894) and a salute to Kingston's own Don Cherry. There is also a tribute to five Kingston players who scored Stanley Cup winning goals, Kingston's Golden Girl Jayna Hefford and many of the top artifacts from the NHL's Original Six era.
The Puck Starts Here! Come and learn more about Canada's great frozen game.
Hours of operation as of June 2, 2022
The Hall is open from Thursday to Sunday every week from noon to 6 pm. Visits are self-guided as there is no staff on site.
Admission is by donation
Admission is by donation. Your donation goes to support the operation of the hall and allows us to update our displays and exhibits. Simply place your donation in the box at the entrance to the Hall.
Group Tours
To get the full history of the Original Hockey Hall of Fame, personally guided tours can be arranged for groups of 10 or more people with advance notice of at least two weeks. Tours can be scheduled by email. Fees will apply depending on the size of the group. To arrange your group tour email us at: ohhof@kos.net.
The History of the Original Hockey Hall of Fame
Founded by the National Hockey League and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association on September 10, 1943 - Kingston's International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is the "Original Hockey Hall of Fame" and the oldest sports hall of fame in Canada. Captain James T. Sutherland of Kingston spearheaded the bid to bring the Hockey Hall of Fame to Kingston and was inducted into the hall in 1947 - one of the first forty members inducted into the hall during the Kingston-era.
Capt. Sutherland died in 1955 and never realized his dream of seeing the hall of fame built in Kingston. Fifteen years after awarding the Hall of Fame to Kingston, NHL President Clarence Campbell withdrew support in 1958 and Toronto was awarded the hall of fame. Despite this major setback, the Kingston organizing committee moved forward and the International Hockey Hall of Fame was finally opened in 1965 in a brand new building on the Kingston Memorial Centre grounds at the corner of York and Alfred Streets.
In 1992, an agreement was reached with the International Ice Hockey Federation to have the Kingston shrine become the International Ice Hockey Federation Museum. That partnership was abandoned in 1997 and the Kingston hall was renamed the International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum.
On January 1, 2003, we officially changed our operating name back to International Hockey Hall of Fame in part to help celebrate our 60th anniversary celebrations in 2003.
The Hall has been called the Original Hockey Hall of Fame since 2013.
Board of Directors |
Directors |
||
|
President - Larry Paquette |
Keith Buxton
|
Randy Casford |
Ian MacAlpine |
NHL Frank Calder Trophy
Awarded in its inaugural year
to 1936-1937 recipient Syl Apps of
the Toronto Maple Leafs
Timeline of the Original Hockey Hall of Fame
1943 - Kingston chosen site of the Hockey Hall of Fame after City of Kingston initiative.
1945 - Mayor Stuart Crawford elected president of International Hockey Hall of Fame.
1947 - Provincial Secretary issues Charter to Hockey Hall of Fame under the Ontario Corporation Act (Sept. 17).
1961 - Mayor William T. Mills signs bylaw authorizing construction and management of Hall of Fame building.
1962 - $132,000 contract awarded by City for construction of the building at York and Alfred streets. Hockey Hall of Fame board contributes $70,000.
1963 - City Council grants $10,000 for purchase of equipment and furnishings.
1965 - International Hockey Hall of Fame opens doors for first time.
1977 - International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum board assumes complete control of the building.
1987 - IIHFM asks Mayor John Gerretsen and City Council to appoint Task Force to study future of hockey museum.
1989 - Mayor Helen Cooper appoints IHHFM Review Task Force.
1991 - Three-way partnership between IIHF, IHHFM and the City of Kingston approved in principal.
1992 - Agreement in Principal reached with International Ice Hockey Federation to designate Kingston shrine as IIHF Museum.
1995 - NHL and Hall of Fame, Toronto, recognizes the IIHFM's role and promises support.
1997- IIHF withdraws from agreement.
2002 - Larry Paquette is elected Vice-President of the International Ice Hockey Federation Museum. City Council approves Phase One of Museum Tourism Network Study, including the International Hockey Museum.
2003 - The IHHOF board approves the name change to International Hockey Hall of Fame.
2003 - IHHOF.com web site launched.
2003 - William J. 'Bill' Fitsell and Mark Potter co-author a book on the history of hockey in Kingston to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Hall of Fame. The book; 'Hockey's Hub: Three Centuries of Hockey in Kingston', sold 2,000 copies.
2006 - Annual Historic Hockey Series, a series recreating the first hockey games played on the Kingston harbour in 1886, is moved from Kingston harbour to the new artificial ice surface at Springer Market Square
2010 - Hall of Fame commissions a mural at the Invista Centre to honour Kingston's Jayna Hefford; a celebration of her third Olympic gold medal for Team Canada won in Vancouver.
2011 - Don Cherry & Ron MacLean headline a sold out dinner for the Hall of Fame at the Ambassador Hotel, raising $50,000 for the fundraising drive to find a new home.
2012 - President Mark Potter attempts to relocate the Hall of Fame to a prominent downtown Kingston. After months of negotiations, a proposed deal falls apart that would have seen the Hall of Fame site in the newly renovated Smith & Robinson building.
2012 - City staff conclude that the 10,000 square foot York Street location is no longer safe to serve as the home for the Hall of Fame due to lack of maintenance, excessive cost to repair the roof and related mould issues. City staff offer to relocate the Hall to the Invista Centre, in a 1,250-square-foot space on the second floor. The Hall closes its doors at York and Alfred Streets, its home since 1965.
2012 - William J. Henderson Foundation makes a $250,000 donation to support finding a new home for the museum.
2013 - Operating name for the International Hockey Hall of Fame & Museum Inc. is changed to the Original Hockey Hall of Fame and a new logo is unveiled. The %u20AC%u0153Original%u20AC? name is adopted, referring to the 1943 decision by the National Hockey League and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for Kingston to be the first and only site for a Hall of Fame to remember and highlight those individuals who have done so much to develop the game of hockey.
2013 - The 70th anniversary of the International Hockey Hall of Fame is marked with a grand re-opening at the new Invista space. Special guests include Don Cherry and Bill Fitsell to celebrate the occasion. With the drastic reduction in available floor space from the old location, a modified set of display cases and artifacts are on view to the public. The original building that had stood since 1965 on the Memorial Centre grounds is demolished by the city.
2015 - The Hall undergoes a $250,000 renovation, complete with upgraded and interactive displays, new graphics, a room re-design and a theatre. The project, undertaken by Show Communications, draws considerable local media coverage and boosts attendance.?
2018 - The 75th anniversary of the Hall of Fame is marked by three events held on Nov. 16, with both the Stanley Cup and Memorial Cup on hand. A luncheon is held for over 200 attendees at Fort Frontenac, with special guests Ken Linseman, Doug Gilmour and Rick Smith. There is an afternoon event at the Invista Centre for the public to have an opportunity to see the two iconic trophies on display. The final event is a tribute to Ken Linseman held at a Kingston Frontenacs game, recognizing his accomplishments during his playing career with the the Kingston Canadians, the predecessor of the Fronts.
2019 - Mark Potter steps down as President after 19 years in the position, the longest serving President in Hall of Fame history. Potter was able to significantly raise the profile of the Hall during his tenure and accomplish many objectives, including a complete transformation at the current Invista location.
2019 - Larry Paquette is elected President after 18 years in the roles of Vice-President and Treasurer.
2020 - Prior to the pandemic closure in March, work continues on a Memorial Cup display that highlights the story and key figures behind the creation of the trophy in James Sutherland, George Richardson and Scotty Davidson. The project is funded in part by the Richardson family and will showcase artifacts from Kingston players that played significant roles in the tournament including Don Cherry, Taylor Hall and Doug Gilmour. In the fall of 2020, a Memorial Cup mural was completed in the lower hallway at the Invista Centre by local Shane Goudreau. The mural displays a backdrop of a WW1 battle scene with likenesses of Richardson, Davidson and Sutherland prominently shown.