From the ice to the helmet, passing by the stick and the goal, hockey conceals a panoply of scientific innovations. Both amateur and veteran players can put their knowledge of the national sport to the test this summer at a new exhibition at the Montréal Science Centre.
The curators worked hard in the corners to mount this first interactive exhibition on the theme of hockey.
After playing overseas in Seattle, Saint Louis and Calgary, the titled production Hockey. Faster than ever stops in Montreal from Friday, April 7. The display of hockey underwear in the Quebec metropolis was “all natural”, says in an interview the director of the Montreal Science Center, Cybèle Robichaud. “The first ice hockey game was in Montreal in 1875! »
There are objects here that we always use, but that we never have the opportunity to see like this
Nothing outdated appears in this exhibition divided into 8 “zones” and 30 interactive modules. We go from the first hockey sticks made by the Micmac people to the very latest technologies that smash performance records. We also cross the ages, from the first women’s matches to the inclusion of the first Afro-descendant players. “Women’s equipment dates back to the 19e century”, reveals Cybèle Robichaud for the first time. “Women played hockey in skirts. It was a brace-free occasion, so everyone wanted to play hockey! »
But above all, we discover what makes hockey such a fast, powerful and complex sport.
How to make a good ice cream? This is a matter of friction. How to make a good slap shot? This is a question of flexibility, stick length, technique. How to protect against violent shocks? This is a question of form and material. The list is long.
A rapidly evolving sport
During this visit of about an hour, we discover the unknown corners of the team sport so popular in Quebec. Did you know that you can play hockey even when you are blind or partially sighted? “The visually impaired players used to play with a sound puck made from a tin can. There is now a new type of puck, developed at UQAM, which allows better acuity for these visually impaired players, ”says Cybèle Robichaud, without revealing everything.
This maze of sciences exhibits the technology of goals that move by themselves, or that of protective equipment modeled by 3D printers. The contributions of the University of Montreal, UQAM and the puck manufacturers of Saint-Jérôme are among the most celebrated on the circuit.
“Among the elements presented in the exhibition, we demonstrate the immense contribution of Quebec researchers and experts to the scientific and technical development of hockey. We can think of large equipment companies like CCM, Bauer,” adds the director. “There are objects here that we always use, but that we never have the opportunity to see like that. »
The heroes of sports history are not overlooked. We turn the corner of one of the “zones” and dive head first into a fictional locker room of great players. We walk a little further and we understand all the work behind the evolution of the athlete, from the simple street hockey player to the pantheons of the national league.
“To be able to look at all the names of the players, to experience this evolution, with the contributions of the players, there is something quite moving”, observes Mme Robichaud.
All without forgetting the contribution of female athletes. Like a miniature hall of fame, Marie-Philip Poulin’s star shines brightly alongside those of her male peers. A few steps further, and the entire Montreal Canadiens team is displayed on a large mural. Next to this photo, the same image, but of the “Canadians of Montreal”, a team that unfortunately no longer exists today. This local nod is also unique to the Montreal version of the exhibition.
No controversies, but punishments
The exhibition does not address the recent controversies that have shaken the world of Quebec junior hockey. The magnifying glass of the Center des sciences de Montréal focuses instead on the luminous contours of one of the fastest sports in the world, even if it means being a little complacent. “It’s an opportunity to have a positive look at a time when we have a somewhat negative view of this sport,” said Cybèle Robichaud. “We are aimed at families, at young people. There is still good hockey, families who get up early to go play in an arena. »
“Interaction” occupies the center of the visit, in the tradition of the other presentations of the Center des sciences de Montréal. For example, visitors can spend a few minutes in shame from a penalty bench. Or, we can estimate the flex of the types of sticks, test the effectiveness of your wrist shot or compare the effectiveness of resurfaced ice to that of a worn rink.
The opening of the exhibition was supposed to take place in 2021, but had to be postponed due to a certain virus. Fans will therefore be able to resume this summer. Everything will be open to the public until September 10 of this year.