The Montreal Victoire’s Walter Cup championship trophy, which went missing during shipment, has been located and returned to the team, as announced by the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Monday. The league expressed gratitude to all involved in finding the trophy and acknowledged the support from fans.
The trophy disappeared last week when it failed to reach its destination in Lethbridge, Alberta, where it was scheduled to be with Victoire forward Dara Greig. Although a container arrived, it did not contain the trophy that was shipped by the PWHL.
The PWHL humorously mentioned that even the Walter Cup can have its own off-season adventure, and they are anticipating the Victoire’s upcoming celebrations with the cup. The exact details of where and how the trophy was found remain undisclosed, with the league only stating that it was lost during shipment. Efforts were made by the league in collaboration with the shipping company to locate the missing trophy.
It is important to note that the missing trophy was not the official one given to teams upon winning the championship, as that is permanently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The trophy in question is a replica known as the team’s “keeper” cup, a 16-kilogram, 61-centimeter-tall replica of the original sterling silver Tiffany & Co.-designed Walter Cup.
Montreal secured the cup by defeating Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May, becoming the PWHL’s inaugural Canadian champion after Minnesota clinched the league’s first two titles. Named after PWHL founder and primary benefactor Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra, the Walter Cup symbolizes significant achievements in the league. Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and recently agreed to sell his controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, holds a prominent role in the league’s history and development.
