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 league expressed gratitude to those involved in the search and the fans for their support.
Last week, the trophy failed to reach Lethbridge, Alberta, where it was intended to be with Victoire forward Dara Greig. Although a container arrived, it did not contain the trophy that the PWHL had sent.
The PWHL humorously remarked that even the Walter Cup can have its off-season adventure and looks forward to the Victoire’s upcoming celebrations with the cup. The exact location where the trophy was found and the circumstances of its disappearance remain unclear, with the league stating that it was lost during shipment.
It is important to note that the missing trophy was a replica known as the team’s “keeper” cup, not the one awarded on the ice during the championship victory. The original trophy is permanently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
The Walter Cup, a replica weighing approximately 16 kilograms and standing 61 centimeters tall, was earned by Montreal after defeating Ottawa in a best-of-five series in May, making them the first Canadian champions in the PWHL. The trophy is named after PWHL founder and key supporter Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra. Mark Walter, who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and recently made a deal to sell his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, has been a significant figure in the league’s history.