Walter Cup No Shows Again, This Time in Darkangelo's Hometown
The PWHL's travelling championship replica missed a September 5, 2026 appearance with Shiann Darkangelo in Brighton, Michigan, the second stop it has blown in about two weeks.
Shiann Darkangelo had planned to spend the morning of September 5, 2026, with the Walter Cup at an Athleta store in Brighton, Michigan, where she grew up. The trophy never showed up.
"The Walter Cup did not arrive as expected yesterday, and unfortunately, it will not be at the Athleta event in Brighton today," she wrote on Instagram. "I know many of you were excited to see the cup, and I'm genuinely disappointed that it won't be there."
She showed up regardless and told fans she would be at the store for photos and greetings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It was the second missed stop in roughly two weeks. Victoire forward Dara Greig had to push back her Aug. 20 celebration in Lethbridge, Alberta, after the Cup was lost in transit. That one surfaced on Aug. 24. No one was looking for the trophy this time. A source close to the situation told The Associated Press that the league knew on Saturday afternoon where the Cup was; it just had not been delivered. According to the same source, the PWHL had used the same shipping company in August.
The item bouncing between airports is the keeper replica each champion receives to tour with. The original Walter Cup, which is sterling silver, stands about 24 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds, is kept at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Darkangelo's title came with Montreal in May, as the Victoire closed out the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the final. She signed a two-year deal in June with the PWHL's new Detroit club, one of four expansion teams stocking rosters this summer, which is how a Montreal trophy ended up booked for a Michigan strip mall.
The scheduled September 5 homecoming ended without the Cup.
