The Professional Women’s Hockey League disclosed to The Associated Press that the Walter Cup, belonging to Montreal Victoire, the league’s champion, is currently missing. The PWHL released a statement mentioning that the trophy did not reach its intended destination as scheduled and is actively collaborating with the shipping company to locate it.
The trophy was meant to be transported to Lethbridge, Alberta, for a special event with Victoire forward Dara Greig. However, the container arrived at its destination without the Walter Cup, prompting Greig to postpone her scheduled appearance with the trophy, including a public event at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
The whereabouts of the missing Walter Cup remain unknown. Unlike the NHL’s Stanley Cup, the PWHL does not assign a dedicated individual to accompany the trophy during its travels to be with the players.
It is important to note that the missing version of the Walter Cup is not the one presented to teams on the ice upon winning the championship. The championship trophy is permanently exhibited at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The missing version is a replica issued to championship-winning teams to retain.
Both the original and team versions of the Walter Cup are crafted from sterling silver and designed by Tiffany & Co. The trophy weighs approximately 35 pounds and stands at 24 inches in height and 13 inches in width. The cup is supported by two rods resembling hockey sticks and features six engraved W’s representing the league’s original franchises, with the championship teams listed on the base.
Montreal secured the cup by defeating Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May, becoming the first Canadian team to win the PWHL title. The cup is named in honor of PWHL founder and primary supporter Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra.