Montreal Victoire win Walter Cup, defeating Ottawa Charge to become first Canadian PWHL champions

The Victoire are champions at last after defeating the Charge in Game 4 of the PWHL Walter Cup Finals. Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press via AP Share article4OTTAWA – Seven days ago, before the start of the PWHL’s Walter Cup Finals, Ann-Renée Desbiens considered what it would mean to win the league’s championship trophy alongside her captain, Marie-Philip Poulin. “I would be so lucky as a teammate to have this opportunity to share this moment with her,” said Desbiens. “She is a legend. She is ‘Captain Clutch,’ the one and only one. “She’s a person you want (to) battle for and that’s what this team is going to do.” Poulin has long been considered the best women’s hockey player in the world, with a trophy case filled with individual and team achievements, most notably three Olympic gold medals won on her stick. Since the PWHL launched in 2024, though, the Walter Cup has become one of the few trophies (along with an NCAA championship) to elude Montreal’s captain. On Wednesday night, Poulin’s Montreal Victoire defeated the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Finals to become the first Canadian team to win the PWHL’s coveted championship — and the first team that isn’t the Minnesota Frost. There wasn’t a ton of room to work for either team in the first period on Wednesday, which meant low shot volume and very few quality scoring chances. It took Montreal nearly eight minutes to officially register a shot on Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips, and by the midway point of the first period, there were more blocked shots (5) than shots on goal (3). While Montreal didn’t generate a ton of offense, the team did well to put pressure on Ottawa in all three zones, slowing the Charge in transition and limiting zone time. All five of Ottawa’s shots in the first came from defenders high in the offensive zone with no net-front presence to truly test Desbiens. Less than four minutes into the second period, though, Abby Roque finally broke the stalemate with her third goal of the postseason, which would prove to be the championship-winner. After Poulin carried the puck into the zone, she dished to Roque, who threw a sharp angled shot on net. The puck deflected off the outstretched stick of Ottawa defender Rory Guilday and into the back of the net. Roque’s second goal of the night was no lucky bounce; it was a stunning individual effort to beat Philips while Montreal was on the penalty kill. In the final 10 minutes of the third, Maggie Flaherty and Lina Ljungblom each scored to put the game out of reach for the Charge. While Desbiens wasn’t tested often, she was sharp when she needed to be and stopped all 23 shots she faced for her sixth win of the playoffs and second shutout. Montreal entered the playoffs as the top seed and the favorite to win the Walter Cup. According to Dom Luszczyszyn’s model they had a 36.6 percent chance. By virtue of being the No. 1 team, the Victoire were permitted by PWHL rules to choose between the third- and fourth-place playoff teams. Montreal opted to face the third-place — and two-time defending champion — Frost in the first round, a choice that was heavily scrutinized, particularly after Montreal lost Game 1 and allowed five goals against in a 5-4 overtime loss. But the team rebounded, eliminating the back-to-back champs in the fifth and deciding game of the series, which was postponed 24 hours due to an illness on the Victoire. “We knew it (wouldn’t) be easy,” Poulin said after Game 5 last week. “Obviously, taking Minnesota was going to be a battle, and we did it. We’re happy right now, but we’re not done yet.” Montreal won two straight games against Ottawa in the Finals, which meant the Walter Cup trophy was in the house for Game 3 at the Canadian Tire Centre. But with their backs against the wall, the Charge staged a dramatic comeback, scoring twice with little more than five minutes remaining in a 2-1 victory that ensured the first all-Canadian PWHL Finals didn’t end with a sweep. But it only delayed what seemed inevitable from the start of the season. Despite major losses in the expansion draft process over the summer — such as top-four defenders Cayla Barnes and Anna Wilgren and top-six forwards Abby Boreen and Jennifer Gardiner — Montreal entered the 2025-26 season with its best roster yet. Offseason additions of Shiann Darkangelo, Hayley Scamurra and Roque gave Montreal more size and versatility at forward, which certainly paid off when the games mattered most. In the semifinals against Minnesota, Scamurra scored the game-winner in a critical comeback Game 3 victory to give Montreal a 2-1 series lead. She also scored what looked like the championship-winner in Game 3 of the finals, before Ottawa stormed back. Nobody scored more goals or points than Roque in the postseason. Darkagenlo added a steady defensive presence to the middle six and the penalty kill, which only allowed two goals against — and none in the Finals. On the blue line, No. 4 draft pick Nicole Gosling emerged as the team’s No. 1 defender and played the hero in Game 1 of the Finals, sending it to overtime with just 2.1 seconds left to shock the Charge. A former member of the Frost, Flaherty has been a physical presence in a shutdown role for the Victoire this season. She also set up the overtime winner in Game 1 of the finals and scored a clincher of her own in Game 2. “She was definitely someone that we were looking to go after in free agency,” said coach Kori Cheverie last week. “We knew what she was able to bring, and tonight we saw it.” That general manager Danièle Sauvageau was able to make so many successful swings is a credit to the Hockey Hall of Fame GM and her staff. Poulin, Desbiens and Laura Stacey played a major role too. All three foundational stars signed contract extensions and took pay cuts in the offseason — part of a group effort to help the team stay competitive and give Sauvageau more cap room to work with. “It was a no-brainer,” Poulin told The Athletic about the decision in November. “The three of us wanted to do something that could help Danièle, to make sure she got the players she wanted. For us, the team comes first.” Now, the Victoire are champions at last. This story will be updated. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms