Canada's Holy Grail investigates the political motivations of Lord Stanley and sheds light on the Stanley Cup as a symbol of Canadian unity.

This is the history of the most famous trophy in all of sports, from its origins in 14th-century England to the most recent winners of the Cup. Full-color images throughout.

In 1892, Lord Frederick Arthur Stanley donated the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup – later known as the Stanley Cup – to crown the first Canadian hockey champions. Canada’s Holy Grail documents Lord Stanley’s personal politics, his desire to affect Canadian nationality and unity, and the larger transformations in Anglo-liberal political thought at the time. This book posits that the Stanley Cup fit directly within Anglo-American traditions of using sport to promote ideas of the national, and the donation of the cup occurred at a moment in history when Canadian nationalists needed identifying symbols. Jordan B. Goldstein asserts that only with a transformation in Anglo-liberal thought could the state legitimately act through culture to affect national identity. Drawing on primary source documentation from Lord Stanley’s archives, as well as statements by politicians and hockey enthusiasts, Canada’s Holy Grail integrates political thought into the realm of sport history through the discussion of a championship trophy that still stands as one of the most well-known and recognized Canadian national symbols.

One of the most important figures in Canadian history, Frederick Arthur Stanley's most enduring legacy is not his term as the country's sixth Governor General but the trophy cup that bears his name. Here, Lord Stanley's political legacy -- his diplomacy in dealing with the United States, his embrace of Canada's West, and his nimble handling of domestic crises -- is explored in vivid detail, fleshing out a man who was far more than just an avid sportsman.

Ice hockey fans will pull on their skates and gear up for this Who HQ title about the Stanley Cup Finals--the National Hockey League's championship games. Out of the thirty-two pro hockey teams that compete, only one can call itself the champion and proudly hoist up the Stanley Cup--the oldest sports trophy in the world! From the formation of the leagues and the crowning of the first championship-winning team, to the Rangers' Stanley Cup curse and the uncertain fate of the teams during the Spanish flu epidemic, this book recounts the highs and lows of this exciting ice hockey series.