The Montreal Victoire’s missing Walter Cup championship trophy, which disappeared during shipment, has been located and returned to the team, as confirmed by the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Monday. The league expressed gratitude for the assistance in locating the trophy and the support from fans.
Last week, the trophy vanished en route to Lethbridge, Alberta, where it was intended to be with Victoire forward Dara Greig. Although a container arrived, it did not contain the trophy that was sent by PWHL.
In a light-hearted statement, the PWHL mentioned that even the Walter Cup can have its own off-season adventure and expressed excitement for the Victoire team to resume their celebrations with the cup. The exact details of where the trophy was discovered or how it went missing remain unclear, with the PWHL stating that it was “lost in shipment.” Efforts were made by the league in collaboration with the shipping company to locate the missing trophy.
It is important to note that the missing trophy was not the one typically awarded on the ice to championship-winning teams, as that version is permanently displayed 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 at about 61 centimeters tall.
In May, Montreal secured the Walter Cup by defeating Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series, marking the team as the first Canadian champion in the PWHL after Minnesota claimed the league’s initial two titles.
The trophy is named in honor of PWHL founder and key supporter Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra. Mark Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently made headlines for agreeing to sell his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.