About Our Collection
Location & History
Opened on September 8, 2009, the Hockey Hall of Fame's D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre is located within a four-pad arena complex, a multi-purposed facility that also serves as the practice facility for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies, as well as offices of Hockey Canada and the NHL Alumni.
Funded, in part, by contributions from the Seaman Hotchkiss Hockey Foundation, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the Department of Canadian Heritage and ten individuals who formed the 'Hockey Resource Centre and Archives (HRCA) Founders Committee', the facility was named in honour of the late Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman (HHOF 2010), one of the founding owners of the Calgary Flames and a long-time benefactor of grassroots hockey development in Canada.
At almost 10 times the storage capacity of its previous location, the 18,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility encompasses a space the size of an airplane hangar to access, catalogue, preserve and store items not on display in the downtown Toronto museum, and contributes to making the Hall's Exhibit Rentals program more robust.
In addition to serving thousands of correspondents, media, administrators, teams, players, fans, students, teachers, museums and libraries each year, the D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre is the fabric of the Hockey Hall of Fame, playing an integral role in the planning and development of the Hall's exhibition, outreach, fundraising, licensing and charitable activities.
Today, the Hockey Hall of Fame prides itself on having hockey's premier resource centre and archive facility. As the game of hockey continues to grow, so too does the Hall's collection and its responsibility to preserve the game's rich history for generations to come.
Address
D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre
400 Kipling Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M8V 3L1
416-360-7735 extension 400
Learn more about
Daryl (Doc) Seaman
HHOF Class of 2010
HRCA Founders Committee
Mike Booth
John Chisholm
Dennis Fill
Randy Masters
Scott McCain
Jim McKelvie
David Roland
Allan Rubin
Terry Smith
Allan Stitt
Resource Material (formerly Artifact Storage Area)
Resource Material
The archive stacks are the main source of hockey information within the D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre. Here, researchers will find the world's largest collection of hockey resource materials, systematically stored in eleven, 15-foot-long high-density rolling-storage units, creating an efficient method for Resource Centre staff to retrieve relevant materials for any hockey project.
Learn more about our servicesFeatures:
- Over 26,000 published hockey books, programs, media guides and historical documents
- More than 10,000 individual player files
- Approximately 10,000 individual team, league and trophy files
- 1000's of hockey cards, tickets and team schedules
- 1000+ scrapbooks from fans and Honoured Members including Jean Beliveau, Bobby Clarke, Lionel Conacher, Joe Hall & others
Artifacts and Memorabilia
Artifacts and memorabilia representing amateur and professional ice hockey in Canada, the United States and over 85 countries worldwide are systematically stored within the D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre.
Each donated artifact is officially documented, catalogued and put through a conservation process. All artifacts are considered for display in the museum or within our traveling Exhibit Rentals Program. Artifacts rotate on and off display in the museum on a regular basis.
Features:
- Treasured game-worn equipment from all levels of the game
- Art Racks & Map Cases including original oil paintings, illustrations and cartoons plus vintage framed team photos
- Toys from the golden age of table hockey games, figurines and digital gaming platforms
- Generic equipment (non- artifact) depicting the evolution of various protective pieces such as helmets, skates and gloves.
Stick Storage Centre
When visitors tour the D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre, it never fails that an audible gasp is heard when they step through the door and are greeted by a view of the world's largest historical hockey stick collection. At any given time, the racks hold up to 5,000 milestone and championship hockey sticks, all meticulously tagged with the name of the player who used it, his or her team, the date and the stick's significance.
Photographic, Motion Video/Film & Audio Archives
In the climate-controlled 'Cold Room', revolving stacks and high-density shelves archive the world's largest photo collection devoted solely to hockey. The Hockey Hall of Fame owns copyright to over three million original images.
The Resource Centre uses a computerized collection management system (CMS) to classify, record and database the vast photographic collection. The future goal of the CMS is to provide public access to the Hockey Hall of Fame's entire collection of artifacts, documents and photographs.
Features:
- Over two million negatives, slides, transparencies and digital images
- 1,000 glass-plate negatives
- 32,000 photographs and prints
- 4,000 film reels, broadcast quality and consumer video tapes
A Photographic, Motion Video/Film & Audio Digital Suite is used to scan photos, negatives and slides and provides the ability to capture analog and audio media and preserve as digital media files. This includes large format, medium format and 35mm photographic film.
Digitized material is available via Images on Ice, hockey's photo agency offering more than a million digital images for media, publishers, licenses, photo enthusiasts and hockey fans worldwide. Learn more about the Hockey Hall of Fame's Images on Ice service.
Features:
- Flatbed photo scanners
- Photographic film scanners
- 3/4" and Umatic, Betacam, Digitalbeta, Betamax, VHS and Super VHS machines (NTSC, PAL and Secam)
Conservation
We are consistently upgrading our techniques in conservation, preservation and restoration. The Hockey Hall of Fame is an active member of the International Association of Sports Museums and Hall of Fames, the Canadian Association of Sports Heritage, the Canadian Museum Association, and the Ontario Museum Association. These associations provide us with access to valuable information and conservation tools.