Missing PWHL championship Walter Cup trophy found and reunited with Montreal Victoire

The Montreal Victoire’s missing Walter Cup championship trophy has been found after being lost during shipment and reunited with the team, the Professional Women’s Hockey League announced Monday.

The PWHL provided few details. In a statement, the league thanked “everyone who helped track it down and to our fans for their concern and support.”

The trophy went missing last week when it failed to arrive in Lethbridge, Alta., where it was to spend Thursday with Victoire forward Dara Greig. A container did arrive, but not the one the PWHL shipped with the trophy inside.

“Turns out, even the Walter Cup can have a little off-season adventure,” the PWHL said. “We’re looking forward to the Victoire continuing their celebrations alongside their Cup.”

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It’s unclear where the trophy was found or how it went missing, with the PWHL saying the cup was “lost in shipment.” The league last week said it was working with its shipping company to locate the trophy.

The missing trophy was not the one presented to teams on the ice upon winning the championship. That one is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

What went missing was the team’s so-called “keeper” cup, a replica of the original sterling silver Tiffany & Co.-designed Walter Cup that weighs about 35 pounds (16 kilograms) and stands about 24 inches (61 centimetres) tall.

Montreal won the cup by defeating Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May to become the PWHL’s first Canadian champion. Minnesota won the PWHL’s first two titles.

The trophy is named after PWHL founder and primary financier Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra. Walter owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and recently agreed to sell his controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers.