The Women’s Professional Hockey League announced Thursday that the championship trophy will be named the “Walter Cup.” The Walter family, leaders in philanthropy and business, were instrumental in providing foundational support for PWHL’s launch.
The Walter Cup naming was suggested by Billie Jean King, an icon in the sports world and a member of the PWHL Advisory Committee.
“The Walter Cup is the greatest award a PWHL team can win and the greatest gift our players can give our fans,” King said in a statement. “The Walter Cup is a monumental milestone for women’s hockey and all women’s sports. This is Mark and Kimbra Walter’s historic commitment to making this dream a reality for the PWHL players of today and tomorrow. This award recognizes these efforts.”
“Being the best team in the best women’s hockey league in the world is a tremendous accomplishment,” Mark Walter said in a statement on behalf of his wife, Kimbra, and daughter, Samantha. We hope to win the PWHL and give young players around the world the dream of winning. ”
The Walter Cup weighs approximately 35 pounds, measures over 24 inches tall and 13 inches wide, and features a removable base engraved with the name of each year’s winning team.
The Walter Cup was created in partnership with Tiffany & Co., a global luxury jeweler.
The PWHL regular season concludes on Sunday, May 5th, with the top four teams in the standings advancing to the inaugural PWHL Playoffs. The semifinals and championship final will be a best-of-five series.