Former Detroit Red Wings player Bill Lochead will be the special guest of a community lecture at the Lambton Heritage Museum to discuss a series of historical exhibition games.
Curator/Supervisor Dana Thorne said professional hockey players would participate in "barnstorming games" in the 1950s, travelling to small Ontario communities to play exhibition games against local teams.
"One of the professional teams that did that here in Forest was the Detroit Red Wings," Thorne said. "So there were players like Gordie Howe, [Ted Lindsay], and Terry Sawchuk, who drove to Lambton County in the middle of their regular hockey season to play these exhibition games, so it's a pretty great story."
David McLean of the Forest Museum will lead the discussion.
The presentation complements the heritage museum's Hockey exhibit, which will be on display until November 9.
The travelling display, developed by the Canadian Museum of History, explores how hockey has influenced Canadian history. Lambton Heritage Museum also curated an addition to the exhibit to include a focus on local hockey history, complete with pictures and artifacts.
"It's been really well received. People have been excited to learn about our local hockey teams and celebrate that history," said Thorne.
The community lecture "When the Wings Came to Town" will be held on Thursday, September 5 from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Seats for the free event filled up quickly, however, residents can still register through the museum's website to be added to a waiting list.
Thorne said the discussion will be recorded and posted to the museum's YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, Lambton County residents are reminded that the admission fee at Lambton Heritage Museum has been waived this year in celebration of the county's 175th anniversary.