The six teams of the recently launched Professional Women’s Hockey League now know the name of the trophy they’re competing for once the playoffs open next month.
It’ll be the Walter Cup, named after the PWHL’s primary financial backer, Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, and his family, the league said on Thursday.
The name was proposed by PWHL advisory board member and tennis icon Billy Jean King, who teamed with Walter to establish the league last year. Walter spurred the move by buying out the rival Premier Hockey Federation, and has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to launch the league, which began play on Jan. 1.
“The Walter Cup marks a monumental milestone in women’s hockey and for all women’s sports,” King said in a statement. “It recognizes the historic commitment by Mark and Kimbra Walter to make this dream come true for the PWHL players of today and tomorrow.”
As part of its announcement, the PWHL issued a graphic representation of the new trophy designed by Tiffany & Co. Made out of sterling silver, a cup is held up by two hockey sticks and fitted on top of a removable base on which will be engraved the name of each year’s championship team. On the side of the cup are six engraved “Ws,” to represent each inaugural team, as well as rays of light to signify the dawning of a new era in women’s hockey.
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The trophy is designed to weigh 35 pounds and stand 24 inches tall and 13 inches wide.
“This trophy reflects the level of excellence required to win in the PWHL, and we hope it will inspire championship dreams in young players everywhere,” Walter said, speaking on behalf of his wife, Kimbra, and daughter, Samantha.
The PWHL is on a three-week break to accommodate its players competing at the 10-nation women’s world championships in Utica, New York. Each team has five games remaining with the regular season ending on May 5. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs, which will feature best-of-three semifinal and final rounds.
Previously, the PHF's championship trophy was called the Isobel Cup in honour of Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, who was regarded as being one of the first known women to play hockey. She was the daughter of Frederick Stanley, who bequeathed what has since become the NHL's championship trophy, the Stanley Cup.
The former Canadian Women's Hockey League, which folded in 2019, played for the Clarkson Cup, which was commissioned by former Canadian Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.
