Tough love for lucky loonie as fans wear away surface

The lure of Canada's Salt Lake loonie is proving too great for thousands of hockey fans literally rubbing away the surface of the coin.

So officials at the Hockey Hall of Fame home of the famous dollar coin since March say they're going to seal off the finger hole.

• FROM MARCH 8, 2002: Hockey Hall displays Salt Lake loonie

Trent Evans, a Canadian icemaker, placed the 1987-minted coin beneath centre ice in the Salt Lake hockey arena used during the winter Olympics. Canadian men and women both took home gold medals.

It was presented to men's team manager Wayne Gretzky, who handed it over to the Hall of Fame. Now, increasing numbers of fans are intent on touching the loonie for good luck.

But now finger access to the coin will be limited to special occasions, says Kelly Masse, the hockey hall's manager of corporate and media relations.

The coin display will be sealed off after Labour Day.