A century may have passed since the Victoria Cougars hoisted the Stanley Cup, but the memory of their historic win in 1925 now lives on in a place few would expect 乌鸦传媒� under a plastic dome in downtown Vancouver.
The BC Sports Hall of Fame recently unveiled a one-of-a-kind bubble hockey game that pits the 1925 Cougars against the 1915 Vancouver Millionaires in what it calls the 乌鸦传媒淏ritish Columbia Historical Classic.乌鸦传媒�
Visitors can lace up their fingers and go head-to-head on the miniature ice in a tribute to the province乌鸦传媒檚 only two Stanley Cup champions.
乌鸦传媒淚t was just perfect timing,乌鸦传媒� said Jason Beck, curator and facility director at the BC Sports Hall of Fame. 乌鸦传媒淲e were already planning to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Cougars乌鸦传媒� Stanley Cup win, then this call comes out of the blue in November from a conference organizer.乌鸦传媒�
That organizer was Dr. Robert O乌鸦传媒機onnor, a Metchosin family physician and hockey history enthusiast who built the customized Super Chexx Pro game in his garage to mark the Cougars乌鸦传媒� centennial. It debuted at a medical conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre last fall and was later donated to the Hall.
乌鸦传媒淭hey didn乌鸦传媒檛 even tell us exactly what it was,乌鸦传媒� Beck said. 乌鸦传媒淛ust that there was a bubble hockey game available after the conference, and asked if we wanted it. We figured it couldn乌鸦传媒檛 be more used than the one we already had.乌鸦传媒�
When it arrived, staff were stunned.
乌鸦传媒淚t looked brand new,乌鸦传媒� Beck said. 乌鸦传媒淭urns out only about 100 people used it over three days. So it乌鸦传媒檚 basically like buying a car and someone乌鸦传媒檚 just driven it around the block.乌鸦传媒�
It also travelled back to Victoria in March for a celebration of the Victoria Cougars winning the Cup.
The game乌鸦传媒檚 attention to detail goes far beyond what you'd expect from a typical bubble hockey setup.
Each player is hand-painted in the correct uniform 乌鸦传媒� sky blue and gold for the Cougars, and maroon and cream for the Millionaires 乌鸦传媒� and labelled with names and numbers of actual players from the era. That means fans can face off with hockey legends from both sides, such as Cyclone Taylor of the Millionaires and Frank Frederickson of the Cougars.
乌鸦传媒淵ou乌鸦传媒檝e probably got seven or eight Hall of Famers on the ice,乌鸦传媒� Beck said. 乌鸦传媒淎nd most people don乌鸦传媒檛 realize Victoria was the last B.C. team to win the Stanley Cup. That blows people away.乌鸦传媒�
A mini Jumbotron suspended above the rink displays 乌鸦传媒淧atrick Arena乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� a nod to the Victoria rink that once hosted the Cougars. There乌鸦传媒檚 a pre-game national anthem, crowd noise, a goal siren, and even a voice-over by Vancouver broadcaster Blake Price calling the action.
The machine's base is wrapped with a rich historical display, including old photographs and facts about the Pacific Coast Hockey Association 乌鸦传媒� the league founded by the Patrick brothers, who brought numerous innovations to the game. Blue lines, jersey numbers, even goaltenders dropping to their knees 乌鸦传媒� all of it started in Victoria and Vancouver.
乌鸦传媒淭he impact the Patrick's had on the game is still felt today,乌鸦传媒� Beck said. 乌鸦传媒淭o have this game showcasing all that history, it乌鸦传媒檚 just a perfect fit.乌鸦传媒�
The installation is free to play for anyone visiting the Hall of Fame, located at Gate A of BC Place Stadium. Beck hopes it offers a dose of nostalgia and a fresh spark of curiosity.
乌鸦传媒淭hese were two teams that changed the game,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淣ow anyone can come down, give it a spin, and relive a piece of that story.乌鸦传媒�
