The Professional Women’s Hockey League reported to The Associated Press on Friday that the Montreal Victoire’s version of the Walter Cup, awarded to the league champion, is currently missing. The PWHL issued a statement confirming that the trophy did not arrive at its designated location as expected and is collaborating with the shipping company to locate it.
The trophy, scheduled to be delivered to Lethbridge, Alberta, for a special event with Victoire forward Dara Greig, did not contain the Walter Cup upon arrival. This led to Greig having to postpone her planned day with the trophy, including a public appearance at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
There is uncertainty surrounding the last known whereabouts of the missing Walter Cup. Unlike the NHL’s Stanley Cup, the PWHL does not assign a dedicated person to accompany the trophy when it travels to be with players.
It is important to note that the missing Walter Cup is not the ceremonial trophy presented to teams on the ice after winning the championship, as that one remains permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The version currently missing is the trophy given to championship-winning teams to keep.
Both the original and team’s version 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. It features six engraved W’s representing the league’s original franchises and rests on two rods resembling hockey sticks, with the base displaying the names of championship teams.
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 Walter Cup is named after PWHL founder and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra.