Toronto is a big sports city. And it’s a Canadian city. So, naturally, hockey is huge (I know, I know, I’m stating the obvious here). I am also a big hockey fan to no one’s surprise and there are a few things on my Canadian bucket list that I would (eventually) like to check off.
Here are three things every hockey fan should (must) do in Toronto at least once:
1) Visit the Hockey Hall of Fame
Located off of Yonge and Front Streets within walking distance from Scotiabank Arena and other local attractions, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a must-see. Visitors can see and take a picture with the Stanley Cup (for a cost) within the trophy room (home to all of the other famed NHL trophies) in addition to Lord Stanley’s Vault, the Stanley Cup championship rings, and a ton of other hockey memorabilia. They have videos you can watch and as you walk around to see all of the jerseys and other collected items, there are QR codes you can scan to watch the moments that they’re from. There is also an interactive zone for kids and a retail store at the end if you’re looking for (mostly Canadian hockey team) merchandise or collectibles.
General Admission tickets are $25 CAD each so they’re pretty reasonable and the Hall of Fame is open daily from 10AM to 5PM. Fair warning: the Hall of Fame probably needs to be updated (or updated soon).
2) Watch a Maple Leafs Game at Scotiabank Arena
This also probably goes without saying but if you have time (and can afford) to watch a hockey game at Scotiabank Arena, you should. The weekend I visited Toronto, the Leafs played a single home game against rival Montreal Canadiens so I did not expect to be able to watch a game. We checked ticket prices prior to flying out (they were around $270 USD) and then an hour before the game, they had dropped to around $178 USD but still not low enough for me to justify seeing a game with two teams I don’t particularly like.
3) Dine and Drink at One of The City’s Many Sports Bars or Restaurants
As I said in a previous blog post, Toronto is a sports city and a food city so it makes sense that there are a ton of sports bars and restaurants, especially near Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Centre. We dined on an Saturday afternoon at RS (formerly Real Sports) which is right near Scotiabank Arena and has vegan options.
There’s one huge TV screen and a dozen smaller ones, a bar plus tables and booths, and an upstairs level also. When we went, they had a two-hour sitting limit because of the Leafs/Habs game in the evening, but we were able to watch some golf and catch the Newcastle/Liverpool game while we were there. There’s just a different energy in the atmosphere when watching sporting events live with other fans.
Sadly, Wayne Gretzky’s is no longer around, but some other options you could check out are Bottom Line and Sportsnet Grill, which offers views of Rogers Centre.
And who knows? You might even spot a familiar face.
Looking for vegan options in Toronto? Here’s my post about everything I ate on my trip.
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