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 PWHL expressed gratitude to all involved in the search efforts and to their supporters for their concern.
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 the PWHL had dispatched.
The PWHL humorously commented on the situation, mentioning that even the Walter Cup can have its own offseason escapade. They eagerly anticipate the Victoire’s further celebrations with their cup.
Details about where the trophy was found or the circumstances of its disappearance remain unclear, with the PWHL stating that it was lost during shipment. The league had previously mentioned collaborating with its shipping partner to locate the trophy.
It is important to note that the missing trophy was not the one given to teams during the championship victory ceremony on the ice. The original trophy is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
The trophy in question is known as the team’s “keeper” cup, a duplicate of the original sterling silver Walter Cup designed by Tiffany & Co., weighing approximately 16 kilograms and standing at around 61 centimeters tall.
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 claimed the first two titles.
Named after PWHL founder and main supporter Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra, the trophy honors their contributions. Mark Walter, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently agreed to divest his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.