PNE SHINNY SHRINE SCORES
Hall of Fame exhibit a hit with fans
If you find yourself thinking “Uh, is that an Andy Warhol hockey artwork here at the PNE?” don’t fret, you’re not dreaming.
Warhol’s depiction of former Ranger Rod Gilbert, one of 10 pieces he did of athletes during his career, is part of 5,000-square-foot Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit at the PNE Garden Auditorium.
“This is probably the biggest display that we’ve done,” says Steve Poirier, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s co-ordinator of images and archival services.
Working at the hall, bringing hockey history to fans, is most definitely a dream job, the Oshawa, Ont. native admits.
“I never would call it work. You grow up watching NHL hockey on Saturday nights, and now you get to talk about it.”
The delight he draws in how fans react to the artifacts he shares, be there as part of a travelling exhibit or at the hall’s permanent home in downtown Toronto, is obvious.
“There was a gentleman the first day (at the PNE), he stayed a couple hours just watching the Legends Theatre,” he says of the video area, which shows vignettes featuring hall of famers talking about their careers and their youthful inspirations as well as other clips from years gone by.
“A lot of memories come back; the parents and the grandparents they like to compare the skates with what they’re like now. The kids will say, ‘how could you skate on those?’ ”
“It’s pretty cool to hear the conversations.”
Poirier and his colleagues have brought 32 exhibit cases to Vancouver, as well as art and photo displays and, of course, the video setup.
Fans will find themed cases covering their hometown Canucks and Giants heroes, as well as artifacts from Original Six clubs and another covering B.C. hockey history.
When preparing a travelling exhibition like this one — something the hall has done since the late 1990s — the curators take into consideration local angles to cover.
Thus B.C.-born players like Joe Sakic, Carey Price and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have exhibits; there’s also items on Olympic hockey, including from the 2010 Games.
Keen eyes will spot Wayne Gretzky’s first set of skates and a Bobby Orr Blackhawks sweater (he played the final 26 games of his career over two seasons for Chicago).
There are photos of the 1972 Summit Series and images from the Turofsky Collection, which feature striking black and white images from the NHL’s Original Six era.
Five trophies are also on display: the Canada Cup, the second World Cup of Hockey, the Art Ross Trophy (which the Sedins have won) and — likely of special interest to Canucks fans — the Campbell Bowl and the President’s Trophy.
Poirier says traffic on the first two days of the fair was steady but no one was rushed. There’s plenty of space for fans to linger ... and remember.