Short description:

Canada&&&x2019;s Holy Grail investigates the political motivations of Lord Stanley and sheds light on the Stanley Cup as a symbol of Canadian unity.

Long description:

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&&&x2019;s Holy Grail documents Lord Stanley&&&x2019;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&&&x2019;s archives, as well as statements by politicians and hockey enthusiasts, Canada&&&x2019;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.

"Goldstein&&&x2019;s research is fascinating, and his book allows readers to understand a unique part of Canada&&&x2019;s history and identity. It also tells us how a trophy donated by a Governor General became an enduring symbol of the country. Canada&&&x2019;s Holy Grail is well suited for anyone who loves hockey, Canadian history, and Canadian political thought."