Montreal Victoire Celebrate Walter Cup Championship Rings: 61 Recipients, Controversy and Omissions

It's ring season.

Championship rings, of course.

The Montreal Victoire of the PWHL and the New York Knicks of the NBA received theirs just hours apart.

Two teams. Two leagues. Two ways to celebrate.

The Knicks received their rings during their home opener in front of a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden. The televised ceremony, including the unveiling of the championship banner, wasn't without controversy, however, as the boxes presented to members of the coaching staff were reportedly empty because their rings had yet to be made.

Earlier that day, the Victoire held a private ceremony at the Verdun Auditorium to present their rings. Everyone who was supposed to receive one had been invited, although not all were in attendance. Several former Victoire players did make the trip, including Nicole Gosling, Dara Greig, Amanda Boulier and Maureen Murphy.

Judging by the photos shared on the Victoire's social media accounts, the setting was spectacular.

The ice surface had been covered to accommodate guests, who were seated at tables arranged on either side of an aisle where the Walter Cup was prominently displayed. The word "Victoire" was spelled out in illuminated letters in front of curtains at the players' entrance. A red carpet had also been rolled out for the players to make their way to their tables. Meanwhile, the scoreboard displayed Montreal 4, Ottawa 0, the final score of the Walter Cup-clinching game.

Photos of the ring were also released. Designed by Canadian jewellery company Paris Jewellers in collaboration with general manager Danièle Sauvageau and vice-president of business operations Kim St-Pierre, the ring is stunning.

Among its details is a nod to the team's playoff motto, "Today is today," an expression coined by Lina Ljungblom, along with the recipient's last name and the 4-0 score of the championship-clinching game.

That said, one detail sparked some controversy: the word "champions" on the face of the ring. Some believe the French feminine form, "championnes," should have been used instead.

The word does appear on the side of the rings. In fact, the Victoire confirmed to The Hockey News that each recipient could choose to have either "championnes" or "champions" engraved on the side.

But let's be serious: who looks at the side of a championship ring? Only the front, where there was not a choice of language.

At a time when all are being encouraged to use inclusive language, it would have been interesting to give each recipient the option of choosing French or English for the inscription on the face of the ring. That, however,  would have presumably required two different designs, since "champions" and "championnes" take up different amounts of space. And two designs would likely mean additional costs.

On social media, some people defended the Victoire by pointing out that most of the players are English-speaking. Fair enough, but the same cannot be said of the majority of staff members who received a ring.

Using various sources, The Hockey News was able to identify 61 people who received a Walter Cup championship ring, including 29 players. This number may be incomplete, but the total is consistent with reports that approximately 60 rings were handed out.

The only significant omissions are Maude Lanteigne and Éric Thérien.

Maude Lanteigne, the Victoire's in-arena host went viral last year thanks to video segments shown during games that told the story of a budding romance between her and a fan. She has developed a strong connection with the fans and several players, who consider her a full-fledged member of the team.

As for Éric Thérien, he has been the team's public address announcer and voice since day one.

Among the 29 players are three who did not finish the season in Montreal: Claire Vekich, along with Samantha Isbell and Kelly-Ann Nadeau, the latter two having been released on the day of the team's final regular-season game.

Even if it might bring back bittersweet memories, it's a positive that their contributions to the team have been recognized.

To wrap things up, here are the 29 players and 32 other individuals who received a ring commemorating the first Walter Cup championship in Victoire history.

It's worth noting that only the players received a second ring, a more understated version of the championship ring designed for everyday wear. As for the championship banner, it will be unveiled during the team's home opener on December 5.

Players (29)

Staff (32)