Isobel Stanley was the daughter of former Governor General of Canada

Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...

 Lord Stanley of Preston

Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby

Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...

. While living in Canada, Stanley helped to popularize ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 and is considered one of the first women to play the game.

Sir Stanley was the son of Frederick Stanley

Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby

Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...

 and Lady Constance Villiers. He was one of seven children, five boys and two girls. Stanley later married General Hon. Sir John Francis Gathorne-Hardy, taking the name Isobel Gathorne-Hardy. Gathorne-Hardy had one child: daughter Elizabeth Constance Mary Gathorne-Hardy. Stanley became Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

Ice hockey

Stanley shared her father's love of the game of ice hockey and was instrumental in convincing her father to create the Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

. Stanley played hockey while she was in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, playing on the outdoor rink at Rideau Hall. After the opening of the Rideau Skating Rink

Rideau Skating Rink

The Rideau Skating Rink was an indoor skating and curling rink located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was one of the first indoor skating rinks in Canada, opened in January 1889...

, Stanley is mentioned in one of the first games of women's hockey played, played at Rideau Rink in 1899.

Isobel Gathorne Hardy Award

Lady Isobel Stanley Gathorne-Hardy's role as a pioneer of women’s ice hockey in Canada is acknowledged with the Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Award. The award is given to an active player (at any level) whose values, leadership and personal traits are representative of all female athletes.

Year	Winner	Province
2000	Linda Irving	Prince Edward Island
2002	Andria Hunter Andria Hunter Andria Hunter played for the Canadian National women's ice hockey team from 1991 to 1994. She is also the founder of a web site for women's hockey .-Early life:...	Peterborough, Ontario
2003	Tanya Leone	British Columbia
2004	Jane Legacé
2005	Cathy Phillips
2006	Melanie McFarlane
2007	Karen Mamchuk
2009	Charla Currie
2011	Nancy MacMillan	West Prince, P.E.I.