Toronto has an ice hockey temple.
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the nation's financial capital. It is one of the two main hockey cities in the country, forming an old rivalry with Montreal. Toronto placed very early on the Canadian hockey map with the Upper Canada College Blues, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Toronto Marlboros established still in the 19th century. Today, the city is well known for its long standing NHL franchise, the Maple Leafs, selling out each season.
As a major North American commercial center with international relations, Toronto was selected as home for the Hockey Hall of Fame, a museum presenting the history of ice hockey. The museum had been founded in Kingston, Ontario in 1943. It moved to Toronto in 1958 and since 1993 it is located in an historic downtown Bank of Montreal building. Conveniently located in the business district of Canada's busiest city, it receives some 300 thousand visitors each year.
The highlight of any visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame is the Esso Great Hall, the cathedral to the icons of hockey. Inside, double glass walls hold portraits and biographical sketches of each Honoured Member. On the north wall, plaques listing the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award and Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winners, selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' and NHL Broadcasters' Association respectively, are displayed.
