Montréal 4, Ottawa 0, Montréal capped a historic season with a 4-0 shutout in Game 4 to clinch the Walter Cup, defeating the Ottawa Charge in the best-of-five finals. The Victoire completed a 3-1 series win, becoming the first team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League to finish first in the regular season and win a championship.
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin led the way with a playoff record-tying eight points in nine games. The 35-year-old scored two goals and notched six assists, including two game winners in the semifinals. Poulin was named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP, adding to a legacy that includes three Olympic golds and four World Championship titles.
Goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens was a wall in net, stopping all 23 shots she faced in Game 4 for her second playoff shutout. She finished the postseason with a 1.40 goals-against average and .944 save percentage. Desbiens’ two shutouts were the only blank sheets of the entire playoffs.
Abby Roque capped her first playoff run with a dominant performance in the series finale. The forward scored twice, including the game-winner and a shorthanded tally for insurance. Roque led all playoff scorers with four goals and eight points in the series.
Montréal’s dominance was evident all season. The team climbed from the bottom of the standings in early January to first place by the end of the regular season, winning 22 of 30 games. They then swept the Minnesota Frost in the semifinals, with four of five games decided by one goal.
The playoffs set new attendance records, with 113,087 fans across 13 games. Game 3 at the Canadian Tire Centre drew 16,894 fans, the largest single-game playoff crowd in PWHL history. The league’s total attendance for the season reached 1,229,584 across 133 games, a 35 percent increase from the 2025 postseason.
The Victoire’s championship will be preserved at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Poulin’s jersey, Roque’s playoff-winning stick, and other memorabilia will be displayed, including the game puck, a custom Molson beer can, and championship gear.
Maggie Flaherty became the first three-time Walter Cup champion in league history, having previously won back-to-back titles with the Minnesota Frost. She tied for the lead among defenders with four points in the playoffs.
Hayley Scamurra made history as the first player to win the Walter Cup and an Olympic gold medal in the same season. The Buffalo native is one of five Victoire players to join the Triple Gold Club, which includes winners of a Walter Cup, Olympic gold, and World Championship gold.
The PWHL now turns its attention to the 2026 season, with the next chapter of women’s hockey history set to begin in the fall.
The Montreal Canadiens executed a calculated and effective plan to dismantle the aggressive style of the Carolina Hurricanes, thanks to a strategy mapped out by Alex Burrows. The Canadiens took full advantage of Carolina’s high-risk approach, converting turnovers into high-quality scoring chances. E
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