There is no evidence that Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), the visionary of the State of Israel and the founder of the Zionist movement, knew anything about hockey.  However, he would be proud to know that there are a number of hockey tournaments that memorialize him.

The original Herzl Cup ball hockey tournament was played between lawyers at the Goodmans law firm starting in 1991 and continuing for two decades.  On the occasion of its fifth competition in 1995, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sent the following greeting: “When hockey brings people together to promote sportsmanship and friendship, as your tournament does, it makes us proud to be the premier league of the sport.”


From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow.

In 1998, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the following greeting:

“This competition, held in the name of Theodore Herzl, is a superb example of the true spirit of the Jewish people.  Its emphasis on the indomitability of the spirit, sportsmanship, pride in achievement, and perseverance gives it a very special significance.”


From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow.

The Herzl Junior Cup Ball Hockey Tournament was introduced to Camp Ramah in Canada in 2011 and celebrates its 16th year this summer.  At various times the competing teams included the Im Tirzu Tigers, Theodore Thrashers, Budapest Bruins, Zionist Zambonis, Basel Lightning and Toronto Congressmen.


Photograph by Noah Chaikof, used with permission.

Noah Chaikof participated in the 2011 to 2013 tournaments at Camp Ramah and was a former first overall draft selection (this is his sweater) and describes the significance of the Herzl Cup as follows:

“While the spiritual father of the Jewish state never got to see his project completed, I think he’d take comfort in knowing that his dream has been fulfilled and is celebrated by Canadian Jewish children every summer. In fact, it’s the highlight of their summer – competing, striving, and dreaming – all in his name.”

Adam Gropper, who participated in the 2011 to 2014 tournaments and was the Cup winning coach in 2017 and 2018, added:

“There’s an old hockey saying that the logo on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back. And that rings even more true when you’re playing for the Im Tirzu Tigers, and the logo on the front is the face of Theodor Herzl, one of the most influential figures in modern Jewish history.” 

The more Herzl the better.  In 2024, Stand With Us Canada introduced a Herzl Cup ice hockey tournament in Toronto.

Netanyahu ended his 1998 greeting as follows:

“We now have to achieve another dream: lasting peace for Israel and its neighbours.  I believe that despite all of the obstacles and difficulties, we can achieve a secure peace.”

That would be a real victory worthy of Herzl’s name.


From the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, Toronto (www.herzlcollection.com). Photograph by David Matlow.

Treasure Trove is a program of The Herzl Project. Another program is The #Herzl100. 100 Herzl artifacts will be posted over 100 days on Instagram, FaceBook and TikTok. Search #Herzl100 on any of these platforms to see the first 54 artifacts, with 46 still to go! A new one drops every day.
The Herzl Project logo.

For more treasures from the Herzl and Zionism Collection of David Matlow, which has appeared weekly in the Treasure Trove column in the Canadian Jewish News (www.thecjn.ca) since February 2021, see https://herzlcollection.com/treasure-trove

David Matlow practices law at Goodmans LLP in Toronto. He owns the world’s largest collection of Theodor Herzl memorabilia and his Herzl Project is designed to inform people about Herzl’s work to inspire them to work to complete Herzl’s dream. He is the Chairman of the of the Ontario Jewish Archives and past chair of Toronto’s annual UJA Campaign and Jewish Foundation. More information about the Herzl Project is available at www.herzlcollection.com Over 200 items from David’s collection were exhibited at the Bernard Museum at Temple Emanu-El in New York City from September 17, 2024 to January 24, 2025. David’s weekly Treasure Trove column (including past columns) can be found at https://herzlcollection.com/treasure-trove. David’s regular #herzlbreak can be seen on Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook. Starting June 6, 2026 David is posting 100 Herzl artefacts in 100 days in the #Herzl100 which can be found on Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook.