The Professional Women’s Hockey League disclosed to The Associated Press that the trophy belonging to the Montreal Victoire, the Walter Cup, is currently missing. A statement from the PWHL mentioned that the trophy did not reach its intended destination as scheduled and efforts are underway in collaboration with the shipping company to locate it.
The missing Walter Cup was expected to be delivered to Lethbridge, Alberta, for a celebration with Victoire forward Dara Greig. However, upon the container’s arrival, the trophy was not inside, causing Greig to postpone her planned event at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
Unlike the NHL’s Stanley Cup, the PWHL does not assign a dedicated person to accompany the trophy during travels. The Walter Cup in question is not the one presented on the ice at championship victories, as that one is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The missing version is a replica trophy awarded to the winning teams to retain.
Crafted by Tiffany & Co., the Walter Cup is a sterling silver trophy weighing approximately 35 pounds and standing at 24 inches in height and 13 inches in width. Adorned with six W’s symbolizing the league’s original franchises, the cup sits on two hockey stick-like rods with the base featuring engraved championship team names on a puck design.
Montreal secured the cup by defeating Ottawa in a best-of-five series in May, becoming the first Canadian team to claim the PWHL title. The trophy honors PWHL founder and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra.
The current whereabouts of the missing Walter Cup remain unknown, and the league is actively pursuing its recovery.