What we know about the bizarre case of the PWHL's missing Walter Cup
Dara Greig and the Lethbridge community were preparing for a day of celebration.
What transpired instead has been one of the strangest sports stories of the summer.
The PWHL confirmed yesterday that the Walter Cup has gone missing. As the story becomes more widespread, it seems to only get stranger.
Here’s what we know about the tale of the missing Walter Cup.
1. The actual trophy isn’t missing
Both the Stanley Cup and the CFL’s Grey Cup have a designated person who travels with the trophy. Therefore, the actual trophy itself goes from place to place.
That’s not the case for the PWHL’s Walter Cup.
The trophy that recently went missing is a sterling silver replica. As for the actual Walter Cup, it sits in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
There’s only one known time when the Walter Cup comes out of the Hall: when the winning PWHL team gets presented with it at the end of the season.
2. It’s not just the replica missing
Some original reporting on this story has since been corrected.
Some outlets first reported that the container carrying the Walter Cup arrived in Lethbridge without the Cup inside.
However, that has been clarified by the Associated Press, which reported that a container did arrive in Lethbridge, but it was not the one that the PWHL originally shipped. For now, the original shipment still hasn’t been located.
3. The last known public sighting
Much like the Stanley Cup, Montreal Victoire players have been sporadically spotted with the trophy throughout the summer.
However, the last public sighting of the trophy appears to have been a little over a week ago, when some Victoire players brought the trophy to the Canadian Open in Montreal.
That sighting occurred on August 9, while Greig was supposed to receive the trophy for an event on the 20th.
What happened in between those dates remains a mystery.
4. The story has an NHL connection
After completing her second season with the Victoire, Greig was supposed to receive the Walter Cup for a community event on Aug. 20. That included a stop at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
Greig played her minor hockey in Lethbridge, Alberta, along with her brother, Ridly Greig.
Her younger brother, Ridly, currently plays for the Ottawa Senators, where he’s earned a reputation for being a pest.
Dara will play in the same city as her brother this season, after signing with the Ottawa Charge.
Their father, Mark Grieg, had a long pro career split between the NHL, AHL and Europe. He played 125 career NHL games and is currently listed as an amateur scout for the Philadelphia Flyers.
5. The bizarre timing of it all
As if the story needed another twist.
The Walter Cup itself is named after Mark and Kimbra Walter, the billionaires who helped form the PWHL in 2023.
Recently, Mark Walter has been in the news for some not-so-flattering reasons. He is currently under federal investigation for financial dealings related to his business empire. It was also reported recently that, last year, Walter had his phone and computer seized by the FBI.
Amidst the investigation, Walter made the surprising move to sell his stake in the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month for a reported $12.5 billion. He barely had ownership of the team for the year, after originally purchasing majority control of the franchise for $10 billion in June, 2025.