The Discovery Centre in Halifax is unleashing the thrills of ice hockey with their brand new exhibit.
Hockey is known as Canada’s national sport, but it has particularly special roots on the East Coast.
The earliest days of the game can be traced to Windsor, N.S., and two of the best to ever play the game – Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon – are from the province.
The “Hockey: Faster than Ever” exhibit takes visitors on a journey through the evolution of the sport.
“(The) first thing that you’ll come in to experience in the exhibit is actually some of the history and culture from the 19-20th centuries,” says the Discovery Centre’s marketing and communications manager Leah Veinot.
The exhibit also highlights the technical advancements that have shaped the game over time.
Replicas of some of the first ice-skates and hockey pucks are on display.
“I didn’t know that pucks started out as wood," Veinot says.
“Hockey: Faster than Ever” also explores the science behind the sport, like how skates use friction on the ice, and what makes the surface slippery.
“I feel like most Canadians live and breathe hockey, so it’s super cool to bring the science element in and give it a different flavor,” says Veinot.
The exhibit is an interactive, hands-on experience complete with special guests, contests and competitions.
Veinot says it has “something for everybody.”
“You can get on your hands and knees and play some shuffleboard, there’s some table hockey, you can get in with a puck and play,” she says.
There is also an outfitted locker room featuring gear worn by Crosby and MacKinnon.
“You can actually see some of their jersey and gear, and there’s a little description of the history of their sport, where they came from, who they’re playing with now,” says Veinot.
“(It’s) the ultimate experience for hockey lover, but also the ultimate experience for anybody who just wants to peak their curiosity in science.”
“Hockey: Faster than Ever” opens on Saturday and wraps up in September.
