Manitoba's hockey history is approaching 120 years and includes many great moments involving Stanley Cups, Olympic and World Championships, Memorial Cups, and a further legacy of amateur titles, both provincially and nationally. The games, individual efforts and drama that mark this province's legacy of hockey glory are too numerous to mention.
This proposal is aimed at developing an archival of oral histories narrated by the players, coaches, managers, media and fans that were witness to Manitoba's hockey history. The project will involve researching and recording individual's recollections of specific eras, games and events in the province.
The archived collection will be made available to the public and researchers through the MHHOF website and for promotional purposes.
Manitoba has a rich hockey heritage, yet many of its participants have left no written record. A sense of urgency therefore informs our work, for the memories we preserve in sound and on paper might otherwise be lost. Oral history allows us to use these personal reflections to explore the private dimension of athletic careers. This allows us to present history to the public in creative new forms.
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame Oral History Project exists to capture the stories of Manitobans who have played, coached, volunteered and witnessed some of hockey's great moments.
Like all oral history projects, there is a sense of urgency as individuals that participated in the sport earlier in the 20th century are becoming fewer. The loss of individuals like Bill Addison, who lived a life in hockey that spanned almost an entire century, puts greater emphasis on this fact.
The project is a cooperative effort, spearheaded by the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame (MHHOF) and with the generous support of the Province of Manitoba Heritage Grants Program; Winnipeg Foundation; sponsors (Fort Garry Breweries; CanCentral Collectibles) and numerous volunteers and supporters.
The project focuses specifically on the Province's hockey history and involves players, officials, coaches, managers, and the fans who attended many important games.
Individuals who are interested in sharing a story to tell are welcome to be a part of this project. Individuals residing in Manitoba and those who may now reside elsewhere are to be the main focus of the project. Regretfully, only a small fraction of the individuals can be interviewed and the project will initially give priority to those who played prior to 1990. Individuals may volunteer to be interviewed, be nominated by organizations, or by the MHHOF directors and patrons. Contact; administrator@mbhockeyhalloffame.ca if you would like to suggest a name.
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour.
The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the international, national, provincial and local levels for many, many years. Induction ceremonies were held on an annual or bi-annual basis through 1993. Since 1995, the Foundation has added to its honour roll every second year.
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is located on the main level of the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg. The Players Wall is just inside the main entrance in the northeast corner and the Builders Wall is in the northwest corner. A Wall of Champions for teams in the Hall of Fame is located opposite the Builders Wall. The museum also includes a tribute to Olympic gold medalists and an enclosed memorabilia area.
