Last night, Montreal’s professional women’s hockey team, the Victoire, won the Walter Cup by defeating the Ottawa Charge. This is the third year the Victoire has qualified for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) playoffs, but the first time they have won the Cup.
They won Game 4 of the best-of-five series against the Charge, 4-0. The game was played at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.
Marie-Philip Poulain, captain of the Victoire team, held the Walter Cup high and called it a “surreal” victory.
A historic victory
This is the first time in the history of Montreal hockey that the Victoire has brought the Walter Cup home, and it is also a major milestone for women’s hockey.
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of debate about the media coverage given to Montreal’s men’s and women’s hockey teams. With, of course, much more time devoted to the Montreal Canadiens men’s team’s games.
Despite that, the Victoire and its players hold a special place in the hearts of Montrealers, and last night they were cheered on in Ottawa by a crowd of Montrealers who had come for the occasion.
A second cup in Montreal this week?
This week, the Canadiens are playing for the National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup, and by eliminating the Sabres on Monday, they advanced to the NHL Eastern Conference Finals—the third round of the playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes.
It’s pretty exceptional, because the Montreal Canadiens are (roughly) eight games away from winning the Stanley Cup. They have;
- theplayoff roundagainst the Carolina Hurricanes (Eastern Conference Final)
- if the Canadiens win, they will face the winner of the Western Conference Final (the Vegas Golden Knights or the Colorado Avalanche) in the Stanley Cup Final
The Canadiens’ next games are against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. (in Raleigh, North Carolina) and on Saturday, May 23, 2026 (in Raleigh, North Carolina).
The Montreal Canadiens (CH) were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup 33 years ago, in 1993. A Canadiens victory would be exceptional, miraculous.