The Walter Cup is missing — or at least the version of the trophy that belongs to the Professional Women's Hockey League champion Montreal Victoire, the league told The Associated Press on Friday.
Without going into detail, the PWHL issued a statement saying the trophy “did not arrive as expected at its latest stop,” and added "we are working closely with the shipping company to locate it.”
The trophy was supposed to be shipped to Lethbridge, Alberta, to spend the day with Victoire forward Dara Greig, a person with knowledge of the plans told the AP on the condition of anonymity because those details were not revealed by the league. The container arrived, but without the Walter Cup inside, leading to Greig postponing her day with the trophy on Thursday, which included a public event at the city’s VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
It’s unclear where the Walter Cup was last seen. And unlike the NHL and the Stanley Cup, the PWHL does not have a person dedicated to travel with its trophy when it goes on the road to be with players.
The missing Walter Cup in question is 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.
The missing version is instead a version issued to championship-winning teams to keep.
The team's version, like the original trophy, is made of sterling silver and designed by Tiffany & Co. It weighs about 35 pounds (16 kilograms) and measures about 24 inches (61 centimeters) in height and 13 inches (33 centimeters) wide.
The cup rests on two rods, resembling hockey sticks. On the cup are engraved six W’s representing the league’s six original franchises. The base of the cup represents a puck on which the championship teams are etched.
Montreal clinched the cup by defeating Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May to become the PWHL’s first Canadian team to win title. Minnesota won the PWHL’s first two championships.
The trophy is named after PWHL founder and primary financier Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra.
See AP’s full women’s hockey coverage here
FILE - The Walter Cup is displayed before being presented to Minnesota after after they defeated Boston in Game 5 of the finals to win the PWHL, May 29, 2024, in Lowell, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners prized left-hander Kade Anderson will make his major league debut Saturday to start against the Chicago Cubs, manager Dan Wilson said Friday.
The 22-year-old Anderson is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and dominated the competition in his first minor league season. Anderson is 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 18 starts for Double-A Arkansas, striking out 135 batters and walking 13 across 93 1/3 innings.
The Mariners selected Anderson with the third pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU. When he takes the mound Saturday, Anderson will become the first player from his draft class to make his Major League debut.
“So excited about that,” Wilson said. “What an incredible season Kade Anderson has had down at the Double A level. It's extremely exciting to have him here and we're excited to get him on the mound tomorrow.”
It is unclear yet if Anderson will be making a spot start to help Seattle form a six-man rotation or take the place of one of the Mariners’ five right-handed starting pitchers. In early August, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Anderson would start his Major League career as a starter.
“We’re not going to put Kade in the bullpen,” Dipoto said. “He’s the best starting pitcher in the minor leagues.”
There is no obvious candidate for Anderson to replace. After the Mariners traded right-hander Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox ahead of the trade deadline, Seattle was still left with former All-Stars Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo, former first-round pick Emerson Hancock, George Kirby and Bryce Miller.
Woo, who was originally scheduled to start Saturday, left his last outing after 75 pitches due to shoulder soreness. But Woo has remained with the team since his most recent appearance. Wilson doesn't envision an injured list stint for Woo, and at the most, would miss his next scheduled start.
But once again, this puts Seattle into a starting rotation predicament. It's enjoyed an overage of starting pitching options, and at one point during this season, Wilson paired Castillo and right-hander Bryce Miller in a “piggyback” to ensure Seattle’s six starting pitchers were all able to regularly appear in games. This option could potentially return for the club.
“I think we continue to talk about that and see what will make the most sense for us going forward,” Wilson said. “Once we get Bryan (Woo) slotted in, we'll be able to figure out exactly how we're going to proceed there.”
Anderson, who arrived in Seattle Friday, joins the club at a time when it is in need of reinforcements.
The Mariners are 60-68 after the Milwaukee Brewers beat them 7-4 on Thursday. Seattle is 5-9 over its last 14 games, and sits four games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West. Earlier this week, the Brewers beat the Mariners 22-0, which matched baseball’s modern-era record for the biggest shutout.
“Where we're at with the season and how we feel like this last month plus of baseball shakes up, and I think Kade is a guy that can help us in that department,” Wilson said.
Seattle won the AL West and reached the AL Championship Series last season.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are 74-54 and hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
FILE - American League pitcher Kade Anderson (32) delivers during the first inning of the MLB All-Star Futures baseball game against the National League, July 12, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)
FILE - Seattle Mariners first-round draft pick Kade Anderson speaks during a baseball news conference, July 22, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
