Phil Pritchard

Pilon School of Business
Program: Business Accounting
Year of Graduation: 1984
Year of Induction to Hall of Fame: 2006

Vice President and Curator, Hockey Hall of Fame

Phil travels the globe to promote the Hockey Hall of Fame museum and exhibit its collection. He has visited more than 35 countries and attended a number of key amateur and pro hockey championships, including the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Since joining the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, Phil has been instrumental in the museum’s growth, including its 1993 move to Toronto and more recently, the 2009 opening of the new home of the museum’s vast archival collections. The D.K. “Doc” Seaman Hockey Resource Centre and Archives now occupies approximately 18,000 square feet in Toronto’s Lakeshore West district. The state-of-the-art research centre further supports the Hockey Hall of Fame’s continued growth and development. It is also the permanent training and practice facility for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies Hockey clubs.

In 2009, Phil received the Schroeder Award from the International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA). It is the ISHA's highest honour.

As “Keeper of the Cup”, Phil has also gained great notoriety for his role of walking the Stanley Cup out onto the ice to be presented to the NHL champions — a duty he has performed since 1994. The trophy is given to each player of the championship team for 24 hours which means Phil travels more than 100 days a year. He was also part of the “priceless” Mastercard™ television ads and more recently, the Discover “Peggy” commercials.

In addition to his responsibilities with the Hockey Hall of Fame, Phil has served for many years on the Board of Directors for ISHA, as well as the Canadian Association of Sport Heritage. He is also a member of the Selection Committee for the Sports Hall of Fame in his hometown of Burlington.