Walter Cup facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walter Cup |
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Taylor Heise holding the Walter Cup in 2024
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| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Competition |
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| Given for | Playoff champion of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) |
| History | |
| First award | 2024 |
| First winner | Minnesota Frost |
| Most wins | Minnesota Frost (2) |
| Most recent | Montreal Victoire (1st) (2026) |
The Walter Cup (also known as La coupe Walter in French) is a very important trophy in women's ice hockey. It is given to the team that wins the championship in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) each year. This championship is decided through exciting playoff games called the PWHL Walter Cup Finals. The trophy is named after Mark Walter and Kimbra Walter, who helped create the PWHL. Since it began in 2024, the Minnesota Frost has won the Cup twice, in 2024 and 2025. The Montréal Victoire won their first Walter Cup in 2026.
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Discovering the Walter Cup: A New Era in Women's Hockey
How the Walter Cup Began
The Walter Cup was officially announced on April 4, 2024. It was created to celebrate the champion team of the Professional Women's Hockey League. The idea for the name "Walter Cup" came from Billie Jean King, a famous sports icon and a key person in starting the PWHL. The trophy honors Mark Walter and Kimbra Walter. They played a huge role in making the PWHL possible, which was a big step forward for women's hockey. Their support helped create a new and exciting league for female athletes.
The Trophy's Unique Look
The Walter Cup is a beautiful trophy made from sterling silver. It was crafted by the famous jeweler Tiffany & Co. in their workshop. The trophy is quite large and impressive! It weighs about 35 pounds, stands 24 inches tall, and is over 13 inches wide.
The design of the cup is very symbolic. It sits on a special ring that has six "W"s around it. These "W"s represent the PWHL itself. There are also rays of light, which symbolize the start of a bright new time for women's hockey. The cup is held up by angled rods that look like the ice rink with skate marks. These rods also feature small hockey sticks. The entire trophy rests on a removable base, which looks like a hockey puck. Each year, the name of the winning team is engraved on this base.
Champions of the Walter Cup
The Walter Cup is awarded after a series of playoff games. The team that wins three out of five games in the finals becomes the champion. Here are the teams that have won the Walter Cup so far:
| Year | Winning team | Series Score | Losing team | Playoff MVP | Winning Coach | Wins |
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| 2024 | Minnesota Frost | 3–2 | Boston Fleet | Taylor Heise | Ken Klee | 1 |
| 2025 | Minnesota Frost | 3–1 | Ottawa Charge | Gwyneth Philips | Ken Klee | 2 |
| 2026 | Montreal Victoire | 3–1 | Ottawa Charge | Marie-Philip Poulin | Kori Cheverie | 1 |
Other Important Hockey Trophies
- Isobel Cup, which was awarded to the champions of a previous women's hockey league, the Premier Hockey Federation.
- Clarkson Cup, a trophy given to the top Canadian women's national champion team.
