The Montreal Victoire’s Walter Cup championship trophy, which went missing during shipment, has been located and returned to the team, as announced by the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Monday. The PWHL expressed gratitude to all involved in the search and to fans for their support but did not provide extensive details.
Last week, the trophy was supposed to arrive in Lethbridge, Alberta, for a celebration with Victoire forward Dara Greig. However, the designated container did not contain the trophy, leading to its disappearance. The PWHL humorously mentioned that even the Walter Cup can have its off-season adventure and looks forward to the Victoire’s continued celebrations with the cup.
The exact location where the trophy was found and the circumstances of its disappearance remain uncertain, with the PWHL stating that the cup was lost during shipment. The league had been collaborating with its shipping partner to locate the missing trophy.
It is important to note that the missing trophy was not the official championship trophy presented to winning teams on the ice, as that trophy is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The trophy in question was a replica known as the team’s “keeper” cup, weighing approximately 16 kilograms and standing around 61 centimeters tall.
Montreal secured the cup by defeating Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May, becoming the first Canadian champion in the PWHL, with Minnesota claiming the league’s initial two titles. Named after PWHL founder and major supporter Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra, the trophy honors their contributions to the league. Mark Walter, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently reached an agreement to sell his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.