The Montreal Victoire’s Walter Cup championship trophy, previously reported 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 recovery process and acknowledged the concern and support from fans.
Last week, the trophy disappeared 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 as expected. The PWHL humorously commented on the incident, referring to it as an unexpected off-season adventure and anticipates the Victoire continuing their celebrations with the cup.
Details regarding the exact location of the trophy’s recovery or the circumstances of its disappearance remain undisclosed. The league stated that the cup was “lost in shipment” and had been collaborating with the shipping company to locate it. Notably, the missing trophy was not the one ceremonially awarded to teams on the ice following a championship win, as that one is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
The trophy in question is a replica of the original Walter Cup, designed by Tiffany & Co., weighing approximately 16 kilograms and standing at around 61 centimeters tall. Montreal secured the cup by triumphing over Ottawa in a best-of-five series in May, marking the team as the PWHL’s inaugural Canadian champion. The trophy is named in honor of PWHL founder Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra, with Walter also being the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and recently reaching an agreement to sell his controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.