The Montreal Victoire’s missing Walter Cup championship trophy, which disappeared during shipment, has been located and returned to the team, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) revealed on Monday. The league expressed gratitude to those involved in the search and to fans for their support.
The trophy vanished last week en route to Lethbridge, Alberta, where it was scheduled to be with Victoire forward Dara Greig. While a container arrived, it did not contain the trophy as expected by the PWHL.
The PWHL humorously remarked that even the Walter Cup can have its off-season escapade and anticipated the Victoire’s upcoming celebrations with their cup. The league indicated that the trophy was lost in transit and did not disclose specific details on where it was found or how it went missing.
It is important to note that the missing trophy was a replica known as the team’s “keeper” cup, weighing approximately 16 kilograms and measuring around 61 centimeters in height. Montreal secured the cup by defeating Ottawa in the decisive Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May, becoming the first Canadian champion in the PWHL. The trophy is named in honor of PWHL founder Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra, who have significant sports ownership ties, including the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The original championship trophy, distinct from the missing one, is permanently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Minnesota clinched the first two PWHL titles before Montreal’s historic victory.