PWHL's Walter Cup championship trophy goes missing in Alberta
Photo credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Montreal Victoire's replica Walter Cup has gone missing while being shipped to Alberta, the PWHL confirmed to the Associated Press on Friday.
The league said the trophy "did not arrive as expected at its latest stop" and that it is working with the shipping company to track it down.
Where the Trophy Was Headed
The Cup was on its way to Lethbridge for a scheduled day with Victoire forward Dara Greig. This information was given to the Associated Press by an anonymous source.
When the shipping container arrived, the trophy was not inside, forcing Greig to postpone her planned appearance. This would have included a celebratory visit with the public at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
The PWHL has not been able to locate the trophy, and they are not sure what happened. There is no report on whether this was a case of theft or simply a run-of-the-mill mix-up.
Not the Original, But Still Sterling Silver
It is worth noting the missing trophy is not the actual Walter Cup, which gets presented on the ice. Instead, it is a replica, with the real trophy remaining at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Designed by Tiffany & Co. and made of sterling silver, it weighs about 35 pounds and stands roughly 24 inches tall and 13 inches wide, with six W's engraved on it representing the league's original six franchises.
Montreal won the Cup by beating Ottawa in Game 4 of the finals in May. They are the only Canadian team to have ever won the trophy.
Unlike the NHL, which assigns a dedicated handler to travel with the Stanley Cup, the PWHL has no equivalent staffer tasked with accompanying its trophy around the world.
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