Greatest Hockey Legends.com: The First Hockey Book

The very first hockey book ever published is believed to be Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game

It was written in 1899 by Arthur Farrell, a former McGill University and Montreal Shamrocks player and Hockey Hall of Famer. Only four copies are known to exist today.

Concordia University in Montreal was the recipient of the most recently discovered copy back in 2007, making it the only known copy in Canada.

The book had sit in storage in a private collection, handed down from previous generations. The owner, Brian Malone, rediscovered it and wanted to give it a good home. He gave it to legendary Montreal sports journalist Red Fisher, who in turn offered it to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a noted fan of hockey history.

Harper arranged for funding so that the book could be restored by Library and Archives Canada. A digital copy was also created. All Canadians can now enjoy the book at the Collections Canada website in pdf, html or flash formats.

Malone then decided the best home for the hardcover original was at Concordia where it is stored at the Centre for Irish Canadian Studies.