Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame shutting its doors

By Stephen Laroche | Beckett Hockey Editor

Fans of the Montreal Canadiens only have a few days left for a chance to explore the team’s lush history as the team’s Hall of Fame and museum will be shutting its doors on Aug. 30.

Opened to the public back in 2010 as a means to cap off the franchise’s centennial year, it is a 10,000 square foot facility which contains some of the team’s greatest treasures for fans to see when they visited the Bell Centre. The museum is closing due to arena renovations, but according to a report in the Montreal Gazette, the pieces of memorabilia on display will be returned to the Hockey Hall of Fame, former players, and fans that shared items from their collections unless they are being moved to another part of the arena.

“In the coming months, as the real estate development projects around the Bell Centre move forward, we will be in a position to proceed with a number of new initiatives, including the redeployment of Centennial Plaza,” said Kevin Gilmore, the Canadiens’ Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer in a statement found on its official website. “This beautiful new site will serve as a permanent gathering place for years to come that celebrates the history of our team, from its greatest legends to its unforgettable conquests and unparalleled legacy.  The Hall of Fame will close in order to offer new amenities to fans and clients during games, though we will be redistributing certain of its displays and assets throughout the building so that they can continue to be enjoyed.  For those who have never visited the Hall, we invite them through the end of the month to experience it at no cost.”

Included among the items on display are hockey cards, game-used memorabilia and hundreds of other Canadiens collectibles. Fans who are planning to be in Montreal before the end of the month should note that the museum is not open on Mondays, but admission is free.

For a fantastic retrospective on the museum, including descriptions of the exhibits, be sure to check out the article by Dave Stubbs here.

Stephen Laroche is the editor of Beckett Hockey. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at slaroche@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Stephen_Laroche.