The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced on Monday that the Montreal Victoire’s missing Walter Cup championship trophy has been located after it went astray during shipping. The league expressed gratitude to all involved in the search and to the fans for their support.
The trophy disappeared last week en route to Lethbridge, Alberta, where it was scheduled to be with Victoire forward Dara Greig. Although a container arrived, it did not contain the trophy as intended by the PWHL.
Acknowledging the unexpected turn of events, the PWHL stated that even the Walter Cup can embark on off-season adventures. They eagerly anticipate the Victoire team’s upcoming celebrations with their cup.
Details on where and how the trophy was found remain undisclosed, with the PWHL attributing its disappearance to being “lost in shipment.” The league had been collaborating with the shipping company to locate the missing trophy.
It is important to note that the missing trophy was a replica known as the team’s “keeper” cup, distinct from the one ceremoniously awarded on the ice to championship victors. The official Walter Cup, a sterling silver creation by Tiffany & Co., is permanently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
In May, Montreal clinched the cup by triumphing over Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series, securing their place as the PWHL’s inaugural Canadian champions. The trophy is named in honor of PWHL founder Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra. Walter, who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently reached an agreement to divest his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.