Montreal Victoire vs. Ottawa Charge: Here’s what you need to know about the PWHL final

The Montreal Victoire is three wins away from hoisting the Walter Cup after eliminating two-time defending champions the Minnesota Frost.

Now, for the first time in the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s three seasons, the Victoire is headed to an all-Canadian final against the Ottawa Charge.

Here’s what you need to know.

New territory for the Victoire

The Victoire has made it to the postseason every year since the league’s inception, but this is the first playoffs it has advanced to the final. 

After a tight series and Game 5 postponed due to illness, the Victoire clinched its spot with a decisive 3-1 win Tuesday over the Frost.

The Victoire will now go toe to toe with the Charge — the team that eliminated Montreal in last year’s semifinal.

Montreal finished the 2024-25 regular season in first place with a 12-7-3-8 record. In the PWHL, the first-place team gets to select its opponent in the best-of-five semifinals between the third- and fourth-place teams. The Victoire chose the third-place Charge over the fourth-place Frost, but the Charge upset the Victoire in four games.

In the inaugural PWHL regular season, the Victoire finished second in the standings with 10-3-5-6. The team was swept by the Boston Fleet in the opening round of the playoffs, losing three straight in overtime.

‘Hard-fought battle’ against the Frost

The Victoire finished the 2025-2026 regular season in the top spot in the standings with a 16-6-2-6 record, securing a playoff berth in early April. The Fleet, Frost and Charge, respectively, snapped up the remaining three spots.

This time, Montreal chose third-place Minnesota over Ottawa. The Victoire had swept the Frost in all four games in the regular season, but the opening round of the playoffs was far from similar.

The Frost won 5-4 in overtime in Game 1, only for the Victoire to tie the series up after captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored the only goal of Game 2 in triple overtime.

Montreal Victoire’s Laura Stacey (#7) and Kati Tabin (#9) react after Marie-Philip Poulin scored the game winning goal in the third overtime period against the Minnesota Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney in their 1-0 playoff win at Place Bell in Laval on Tuesday May 5, 2026. Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette files

The series then went to Minnesota, where Montreal took the lead with a 2-1 victory in Game 3. Facing elimination, the Frost rallied with a 3-1 victory the following night, tying up the series 2-2.

The final game of the series was initially set for Monday, but it was postponed for a day due to illness.

The Victoire bounced back with a 3-1 win, with Poulin scoring the winning goal in the third period.

“Obviously, it was a hard-fought battle all the way to Game 5,” Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens told reporters Wednesday, describing each match as “so close.”

The Charge, meanwhile, beat the Fleet in their semifinal with a 3-1 series victory.

Series schedule

• Game 1: Ottawa at Montreal, Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m. (Place Bell), TSN5, RDS.
• Game 2: Ottawa at Montreal, Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m. (Place Bell), TSN1, RDS.
• Game 3: Montreal at Ottawa, Monday, May 18, 6 p.m. (Canadian Tire Centre), TSN5, RDS.
• Game 4 (if necessary): Montreal at Ottawa, Wednesday, May 20, 7 p.m. (Canadian Tire Centre), TSN5, RDS.
• Game 5 (if necessary): Ottawa at Montreal, date/time TBD (Place Bell), TSN, RDS.

Tickets for home games can be bought at montrealvictoire.com.

History will be made

The PWHL has only had one team win the Walter Cup to date: the Frost. Minnesota won back-to-back championships in the inaugural and second year.

Montreal and Ottawa are both eyeing their first Walter Cup. No matter the outcome, it will be the first time a Canadian team secures the title.

“I think that it’s going to be something that the fans haven’t seen yet,” Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie said Wednesday. “It’s going to be a good rivalry.”

The Charge made it to the 2025 final, but the Frost won the series three games to one.

The NHL Network’s Jamie Hersch, at podium, and officials announce the PWHL women’s hockey expansion team beginning in the 2026-27 season, Wednesday, May 13, 2026 in Las Vegas. Hamilton, Ontario, also was added on Wednesday. Mark Anderson / AP

PWHL expansion underway

The league is adding more teams starting next season. Detroit was unveiled as a new location last week. On Wednesday, the PWHL announced it was also expanding to Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ont.

The latest announcement brings the total number of teams to 11, up from eight this past season. They’ll join Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Minnesota, New York and Boston.

The PWHL also hinted at more growth in the near future.

“Details about further expansion, a forthcoming expansion roster building process, and how expansion teams will be integrated into the 2026 PWHL Draft will be announced in the coming weeks,” the league said in a statement.

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