Hockey Hall of Fame, the Stanley Cup, and a Stunning Stained Glass Ceiling

I confess that I am not a big hockey person. However, I did grow up watching my brother play hockey and occasionally watched a game on TV with my father (a former hockey player himself). So even I have an understanding of and respect for the iconic Stanley Cup, the silver trophy awarded to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion team each year.

Yesterday, at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, and in the spirit of The Year of Trying New Things, I got to see the Stanley Cup! It was wonderful to watch family after family making a point to inspect the cup up close, touch it, and have pictures taken with it.

Reverence for the Stanley Cup passing from one generation to another.

The Hockey Hall of Fame’s website says, “On March 18, 1892, Lord Stanley of Preston delivered a statement in which he committed to donate a trophy that would be competed for by Canadian hockey teams. Little did he realize just how powerful and magical his gift to the game would prove to be.” I found it quite interesting to learn about the evolution of the cup, and how the engraved bands work. The video below explains (and shares the antics associated with the winning teams).

One fun fact from the video is that the silver rings each hold thirteen winning team names, so must be retired every thirteen years to maintain the size of the cup. The previous bands are on display in the vault.

Speaking of the vault, part of the museum is in the Great Hall of the former Bank of Montreal head office, built in 1885 (closed 1982). So the championship rings and other valuable artifacts are actually stored in the former bank’s vault. (For yet another interesting use for a historic vault, see my post The Vault at One King West.)

Further confession: I’d come to the museum with the true purpose of viewing the gorgeous stained glass ceiling in the Great Hall, and its commemorative plaque. And what a stunning sight it is. (I considered lying on my back on the floor to have a good look, but I did not.)

The plaque states:

McCAUSLAND STAINED GLASS

This magnificent dome represents an extensive legacy of stained glass produced by the McCausland family and their employees for buildings throughout Canada. In business under various company names since 1856, the Toronto-based form Robert McCausland Limited is credited with the earliest and most numerous examples of Canadian stained glass and the longest record for glasswork in North America. Richly adorned with mythological figures and provincial emblems, the dome was executed in 1885 by Robert McCausland, while working for his father, Joseph, the first’s founder.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada

In 2013, Toronto Star columnist Jennifer Wells referred to the ceiling as “surely one of the most exquisite works of stained glass in the country.” Her article goes on to eloquently describe the artwork, which is 45 feet high and 40 feet across.

Twenty-four panels fan along the ribs of the window. Unsleeping dragons in jewel colours guard cornucopias of gold from marauding eagles. Above the dragons, the Dominion, as it was, is represented by the seven spherical emblems of the provinces, an eighth for the Canadian beaver, and, at the epicentre, a blazing sun.Hockey Hall of Fame Glass Befits a Shrine

I’m very pleased to have finally made it into this interesting historic space, which I’ve viewed from the outside for decades, and to have seen the Stanley Cup. What with the stained glass beaver overhead, and Tim Horton’s jacket nearby, it felt like a very Canadian way to spend a frigid February Sunday afternoon.

P.S. A sign in the ladies’ room says, “Hockey, invented by men, perfected by women.” 😂