What were the first hockey sticks and pucks made of? What was the original Stanley Cup like? What hockey position is best suited to your athletic abilities? Starting Friday, a new exhibition at the Montreal Science Centre called "Hockey: Faster Than Ever" will tackle these questions and more.
The exhibition, presented by Tim Hortons, will be displayed in Montreal from April 7 to Sept. 10, 2023. Visitors can discover Canada's national sport from new angles through some thirty interactive modules.
"This is the first interactive exhibition where we talk about science, technology and innovation in relation to hockey. We also talk about history and the evolution of the practice of the sport from the end of the twentieth century to today," said Cybèle Robichaud, director of the Montréal Science Centre.
Young and old can experience the role of referee, Zamboni driver and hockey player.
Several excerpts from archives and documentary films on hockey will be presented in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada. Visitors can enter the all-star locker room, where they'll recognize some of their favourite athletes.
"It's an opportunity to see some of the players' equipment: we have Nick Suzuki's, Cole Caulfield's and Samuel Montembeault's, who are obviously Montreal Canadiens players," said Robichaud. "We also have the great pleasure of being able to present Marie-Philip Poulin, who is one of the greatest hockey players in the world."
The major exhibition was supposed to premiere in Montreal in 2021, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 2, 2023.
