Puck set to drop on pair of hockey exhibits at Manitoba Museum

Fresh on the heels of Winnipeg Jets playoff fever, the Manitoba Museum opens two new exhibits this Friday, showcasing the history of hockey in Canada and the province.

"Hockey: The Stories Behind Our Passion" is a national exhibit developed by the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. Featuring 280 artifacts from across Canada the 5,000-square-foot display is one of the largest the museum has ever hosted.

Artifacts in the exhibit cover some of the most iconic moments in the history of hockey — for example, visitors can see the jersey Paul Henderson wore when he scored the Summit Series-winning goal against the Soviet team in 1972.

Visitors will also see the oldest known hockey stick, Jacques Plante's "pretzel" goalie mask, Maurice (Rocket) Richard's All-Star jersey, Hall of Fame and Stanley Cup rings, and some of Shania Twain's hockey-inspired stage costumes.

When the exhibit was first scheduled to appear in Winnipeg, the museum also decided to add a little Manitoba flavour of its own, according to spokeswoman Jody Tresoor.

Candace Hogue, who was hired as a guest curator, created a concurrent exhibit called "Manitoba: Heart of Hockey."

She says she wanted to show Manitoba's history with the sport alongside Canada's because Manitoba is, geographically, the heart of the country.

Among the local highlights visitors will find are Winnipegger Jonathan Toews's three Stanley Cup rings and Olympic medals, Winnipegger Jennifer Botterill's Team Canada jersey, Reggie Leach's Flin Flon Bombers blazer and equipment Jets forward Patrik Laine wore in recent playoff games.

"Heart of Hockey" also features interactive displays on diversity in the game and its rural Canadian roots, as well as a look at professional players from the province, dating back to the 1890s.

The local focus of the smaller display is something Hogue says will fit right into the general spirit of the province right now.

"The city kind of blew up [this spring]," says Hogue. "The Jets really brought something out in everyone."

The timing of the exhibits — coming through Winnipeg right after the Jets' most successful run in the playoffs — is just a coincidence. But both Hogue and Tresoor think it's fitting.

"When we first booked [the exhibit] we thought, 'Wouldn't it be amazing if the Jets won the cup?'" said Tresoor.

"Turns out they didn't have to. The Winnipeg Whiteout was powerful all on its own."

They didn't just have the Jets in mind when setting up the displays, though. The local exhibit is dedicated to the Humboldt Broncos.

Hogue says it's important to remember the 16 people who died and the 13 who were injured in the crash involving the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team's bus in April.

They're now a part of Canada's hockey history — a history that might seem incidental to some, but she feels hockey is a big part of Manitoba's identity.

She says it was daunting to try to condense it all into one exhibit.

"It's in no way an exhaustive history," says Hogue. "It's so rich and so vast. To show it in a small space is a real challenge. We have a lot to be proud of."

Both exhibits will be open to the public at the Manitoba Museum until Jan. 13, 2019.