The Montreal Victoire team’s missing Walter Cup championship trophy, which disappeared during shipment, has been located and returned to the team, according to an announcement made by the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Monday. The league expressed gratitude to all involved in locating the trophy and appreciated the fans’ concern and support.
Last week, the trophy failed to reach its intended destination in Lethbridge, Alberta, where it was supposed to be with Victoire forward Dara Greig. Although a container arrived, it did not contain the trophy that the PWHL had shipped.
In a light-hearted remark, the PWHL mentioned that even the Walter Cup can have off-season adventures and expressed anticipation for the Victoire team to resume their celebrations alongside the cup. The specifics of where the trophy was found or how it went missing remain unclear, with the league mentioning that the cup was “lost in shipment.”
It is important to note that the missing trophy was not the one typically awarded to teams on the ice during championship victories; that specific trophy is permanently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The trophy in question was a replica of the original Walter Cup, known as the team’s “keeper” cup, which is a sterling silver Tiffany & Co.-designed piece weighing approximately 16 kilograms and standing at around 61 centimeters tall.
The Montreal team secured 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. The trophy is named after Mark Walter, the PWHL founder and primary funder, and his wife, Kimbra. Mark Walter is the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has recently agreed to sell his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.
