Montreal Victoire
Charter PWHL franchise and 2026 Walter Cup champions.
The Montréal Victoire (Victoire de Montréal) are a professional ice hockey team from the Greater Montreal area, competing in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) as one of its six original franchises. They play home games at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, and are the reigning Walter Cup champions, having won the title in 2026.
The team was established on August 29, 2023, as one of the PWHL's first six franchises. Danièle Sauvageau, a former coach of Canada's national team, became general manager on September 1. Kori Cheverie, previously an assistant coach with the Canadian national team and the first woman to coach a Canadian men's hockey team, was named the inaugural head coach on September 13. The first three players signed—on September 5, 2023—were Canadian national team members Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renée Desbiens. At the 2023 PWHL Draft on September 18, the team selected 15 players, with Canadian national team member Erin Ambrose taken sixth overall. The team colours—burgundy, "sand", and "storm"—were announced on November 14, 2023. Most home games that season were played at Verdun Auditorium, with four at Place Bell. On December 29, Poulin was named captain, with Stacey and Ambrose as assistant captains.
Montreal's first game, on January 2, 2024, against PWHL Ottawa, drew 8,318 fans at TD Place Arena—a new attendance record for professional women's hockey. Claire Dalton scored the franchise's first goal, and Ann-Sophie Bettez netted the overtime winner for a 3–2 victory. The first home game, on January 13, saw a sold-out crowd at Verdun Auditorium as PWHL Boston won 3–2 in overtime. On February 16, a match at Scotiabank Arena against PWHL Toronto, dubbed "The Battle on Bay Street," set a league and women's hockey attendance record of 19,285, surpassing the 18,013 mark from the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship. On April 20, Montreal hosted Toronto at the Bell Centre for "The Duel at the Top," drawing 21,105 fans—another record. The team clinched a playoff berth on April 24 with a 5–2 win over PWHL New York. In the first round, they lost three straight overtime games to Boston, including a triple-overtime contest. After the season, Erin Ambrose was named the league's top defender.
For the 2024–25 season, Place Bell became the primary home venue. The Victoire finished first in the regular season.
- Founded
- 2023
- Home arena
- Place Bell, Laval, Quebec
- League
- Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
- Walter cup championships
- 1
- Regular season titles
- 2
- Team captain
- Marie-Philip Poulin
- Head coach
- Kori Cheverie
Lore & Background
The team was founded as one of the PWHL's first six franchises, announced on August 29, 2023. Danièle Sauvageau was named general manager on September 1, and Kori Cheverie was named inaugural head coach on September 13. The team's first three players—Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renée Desbiens—were signed on September 5, 2023. At the 2023 PWHL Draft, the team selected 15 players, with Erin Ambrose as their first pick. The team colours were announced as burgundy, 'sand', and 'storm'. The team initially played most games at Verdun Auditorium, with four games at Place Bell. In September 2024, Place Bell became the primary home venue. The team was known as PWHL Montreal during the inaugural season, and the name Victoire was unveiled in September 2024, along with a logo featuring 'MV' initials and a fleur-de-lis. The team retained its colour scheme of burgundy, black, and beige.
Reader's Guide
The Montréal Victoire are notable as one of the six charter franchises of the PWHL, a league established in 2023. The team achieved significant attendance milestones, including a record 19,285 at Scotiabank Arena in February 2024 and 21,105 at the Bell Centre in April 2024. They clinched a playoff berth in the inaugural season but were eliminated in the first round. In the 2024–25 season, they finished first in the league, with Marie-Philip Poulin winning the Billie Jean King Most Valuable Player award. After losing players in the 2025 expansion draft, the Victoire won their second consecutive regular season title in 2025–26, tying the Boston Fleet with 62 points. They achieved their first postseason series victory, defeating the Frost in five games, and then defeated the Ottawa Charge in four games to win the Walter Cup, becoming the first Canadian team to do so. The team's success is marked by multiple individual awards, including Erin Ambrose as Defender of the Year and Ann-Renée Desbiens as Goaltender of the Year.
Did You Know?
- The team's first ever game was on January 2, 2024, against PWHL Ottawa, with Claire Dalton scoring the first goal in franchise history.
- The Victoire set a women's hockey attendance record of 21,105 at the Bell Centre on April 20, 2024.
- Marie-Philip Poulin was named the IIHF Female Player of the Year for her feats with both the Victoire and the Canadian national team.
- The team's name Victoire is a nod to the city's history of success in ice hockey.
More in Women's Ice Hockey 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced