Hockey Hall of Fame Vice President, Curator/Keeper of the Cup
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Philip Pritchard, Hockey Hall of Fame Vice President, Curator/Keeper of the Cup
Pritchard, a lifelong hockey fan and so-called hockey player, travels the globe to promote the game of hockey, the Hockey Hall of Fame and museum as well as exhibits its collection. Phil has visited more than 35 countries and attended a number of key amateur and pro hockey events, 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 occupy approximately 18,000 square feet in Toronto’s Lakeshore West district. The state-of-the-art research center further supports the Hockey Hall of Fame's continued growth and development. The facility is also is the permanent training and practice facilities for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies Hockey clubs.
Part of his duties includes traveling with the Stanley Cup, a position he has held since his first week on the job. 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 a day which means Pritchard travels more than 150 days a year. He was also part of the “priceless” Mastercard television ads and more recently the Discover “Peggy” commercials as well as the Honda Fit and Enterprise commercials, he has also been in several different television shows and specials promoting the Stanley Cup.
In addition to his responsibilities with the Hockey Hall of Fame, Phil has served for many years on the Board of Directors for the International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) as well as the Canadian Association of Sport Heritage (C.A.S.H). Pritchard is a committee member for the Lester Patrick Award (which selects outstanding contributions to hockey in the United States) and sits on the International Ice Hockey Federations “Historical Committee”.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Sheridan College Hall of Fame and in 2009, he received the Schroeder Award from the International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA). It is the ISHA’s highest honor. He is also a member of the Award of Distinction Club at Durham College in Oshawa (his Alma mater)
With a British background, but now calls Burlington, Ontario his home, is a past member of the Selection Committee for the Sports Hall of Fame in his hometown and is involved with Oldtimers hockey, minor sport, and other fundraisers and charities within his community.
Phil is a proud SMWW faculty member for the History of Hockey Course
Twitter: @keeperofthecup
