The Montreal Victoire’s Walter Cup championship trophy, which went missing during shipment, has been located and returned to the team, as confirmed by the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Monday. The league expressed gratitude for the assistance in tracing the trophy and acknowledged the support of fans during the search.
Last week, the trophy was expected in Lethbridge, Alberta, where it was scheduled to be with Victoire forward Dara Greig. However, a different container arrived without the trophy that the PWHL had dispatched. The league humorously mentioned that even the Walter Cup can have its own offseason escapade and looks forward to the Victoire’s continued celebrations with their cup.
Although the exact details of the trophy’s recovery and the circumstances of its disappearance remain undisclosed, the PWHL stated that the cup had been “lost in shipment.” The league had been collaborating with its shipping partner to locate the trophy. Notably, the missing trophy was not the one awarded to teams on the ice post-championship victory, as that trophy is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
The trophy in question is a replica known as the team’s “keeper” cup, modeled after the original Walter Cup designed by Tiffany & Co., made of sterling silver, weighing about 16 kilograms, and standing approximately 61 centimeters tall. Montreal claimed the cup by triumphing over Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May, becoming the first Canadian champion in the PWHL, following Minnesota’s two prior titles.
Named after PWHL founder and key supporter Mark Walter and his spouse, Kimbra, the trophy symbolizes their dedication to the league. Mark Walter, who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and recently agreed to sell his majority ownership in the Los Angeles Lakers, has been a significant figure in the league’s development and success.