A travelling exhibit by the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) has arrived in London. Setup began Wednesday morning as members of the hall unloaded historical treasures from its collection. Running Thursday to Saturday on the main pad at Western Fair Sports Centre, the display will be included with fair admission. “It is the biggest setup we take on the road,” said Izak Westgate, direct of community for the HHOF. “We have all of our traveling components, we have two different display systems, we have an Art of Hockey exhibit, we have a travelling theatre, and we also have a bunch of the NHL trophies and interactive games.” Because many people can’t travel to Toronto to see the HHOF, they try to bring some memorabilia with local ties on the road. “We always work with the local organizers to make sure we’re telling the story they want to see,” added Westgate. “We have a lot of NHL history, some of the legends of the game but then we also tie in the local component with London area teams and players specifically, which is what a lot of people want to see. Being tied in with the fair and the [25th] anniversary of the Sports Centre you couldn’t ask for more.” St. Thomas stars get Ryker Kesler from London Knights Off to a perfect 2-0 start in the GOHL, the St. Thomas Stars roster just got stronger. Tuesday, the London Knights assigned second round pick Ryker Kesler to the Stars. “I played against Ryan [Kesler, Ryker’s dad] in the NHL, and I’ve had a relationship with him a little bit doing some Red Wing alumni stuff that he helped out with, so it’s great to have him here,” said Stars head coach Jason Williams. “I think he’s going to be a big factor for us, and I’m excited to see what he can bring. We’ve got two of their 16-year-olds right now and one local guy with Graham Littlejohn. I’m excited to see what this season is going to bring for us.” The Knights selected Kesler 27th overall out of the Detroit Little Caesars program. “When you’re getting a high pick like that, they have some special talent,” added Williams. “He’s shown that he can put the puck in the net and put some numbers up and we hope that we can continue to his development.” Kennedy Field gets much needed upgrade prior to football season For years, the Catholic Central Crusaders have dominated home games on their small field east of the high school. When their opponents step onto Kennedy Field this fall, they’ll notice something different. This summer the London District Catholic School Board approved renovations to the field. “Now our field is actually the width of a full Canadian football field,” said Alex Kurowski, Crusaders head football coach. “Our side practice area where we used to call “the pit”, which was all grass, dirt and gravel has been totally renovated with brand new sod being watered as we speak.” Anyone who has attended games over the years noticed the smaller dimensions. The LDCSB has ripped out two lanes of the track on the south side and added about 3 metres on each side of the field. “Often, opponents from other schools would come and they’d say it’s unfair because it was it was a narrower football field and a 10-yard end zone,” said Kurowski. “Now, we actually have the regulation of a full football field, which is which is great.” Ranked number one in the province by multiple prognosticators, the Crusaders will play an exhibition game against Westmount Secondary School from Hamilton this week. Their first game at Kennedy Field will be Oct. 9.
