Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game

Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game is a rare Canadian publication written in 1899 by hockey player Arthur Farrell, a Stanley Cup champion in 1899 and 1900. It is thought to have been the first book ever written about the sport. Only four copies of the book are known to exist, and no library in Canada holds it in its collection.

This particular copy of the book once belonged to Dr. J.M.F. Malone, who was the team doctor for the Trois Rivières Reds in the mid-20th century. His son, Brian Malone, left the book with Montreal Gazette columnist Red Fisher, expressing wishes that the book be made available to hockey researchers and historians. Red Fisher then loaned the book to the Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a member of the Society for International Hockey Research.

Thanks to a generous loan by Mr. Harper, the book has now undergone conservation treatment at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Although several pages have been damaged or lost, the remaining pages have been digitized in the exact manner that they appear, and are presented using virtual page-turning technology.

LAC is an institution dedicated to bringing Canada's history to life and making it accessible to all Canadians. The conservation, digitization and presentation of Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game on this Web site ensures that Arthur Farrell's book will be enjoyed by hockey lovers worldwide, for generations to come. Backcheck: A Hockey Retrospective is proud to host this unique piece of Canadiana.

Explore Arthur Farrell’s Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game
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Explore Arthur Farrell’s Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game d'Arthur Farrell
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