PWHL's Walter Cup replica goes missing en route to Lethbridge
A shipping container arrived in Lethbridge without the 35-pound trophy inside, forcing a planned public appearance to be postponed.
The Professional Women's Hockey League says a replica of its championship trophy, the Walter Cup, has gone missing while being shipped to Lethbridge, Alberta. The league confirmed to The Associated Press that the trophy "did not arrive as expected at its latest stop" and said it is working with the shipping company to locate it.
The cup, awarded to the champion Montreal Victoire, was headed to Lethbridge so forward Dara Greig could spend a day with it, including a public event at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena on Thursday. The shipping container arrived without the trophy inside, and Greig's appearance was postponed. It remains unclear where the cup was last seen.
Unlike the NHL's Stanley Cup, the PWHL does not assign a dedicated staffer to travel with its trophy on the road. The missing item is not the cup presented on ice to champions, which stays permanently at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, but a close replica given to winning teams to keep. Made of sterling silver and designed by Tiffany & Co., it weighs about 35 pounds and stands roughly 24 inches tall.
Montreal won the Walter Cup in May by beating Ottawa in a best-of-five final, becoming the league's first Canadian champion. Minnesota had won the PWHL's first two titles. The trophy is named for league founder Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra.
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