PROVIDENCE – The road to the Walter Cup will go through Rhode Island.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced Thursday that its championship trophy, named after its owner Mark Walter and his wife, Kimbra, will be made at Tiffany & Co.’s hollowware workshop in Cumberland.
“The Walter Cup is the greatest prize a PWHL team can win and the finest gift the players can give their fans,” said tennis great and PWHL advisory board member Billie Jean King. “The Walter Cup marks a monumental milestone in women’s hockey and for all women’s sports. It recognizes the historic commitment by Mark and Kimbra Walter to make this dream come true for the PWHL players of today and tomorrow.”
The cup, made of sterling silver, weighs approximately 35 pounds, stands 24 inches tall and over 13 inches wide, and features a removable base that will include the engraved name of each year’s winning team.
This is the first year of the PWHL. It is comprised of six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto, each with rosters featuring the best women’s hockey players in the world.
The season, which began in January, will conclude on May 5, with the top four teams in the standings advancing to compete in the inaugural PWHL playoffs. The semifinals and the championship final will be best-of-five series.
“It is a tremendous achievement to become the best team in the world’s best women’s hockey league, Mark Walter said. “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.”
Tiffany & Co. says it has been making trophies in Cumberland since 2017, including the NFL's Vince Lombardi Trophy, the NBA's Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, the MLB's World Series Trophy.