How Montreal Survived Minnesota & Ottawa to Become PWHL Champions (PWHL Review) "Victoire"

Thomas recaps the Montreal Victoire’s championship season, from an undefeated preseason and a 30-game regular season to a dramatic playoff run against the Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge. The Victoire became the first Canadian PWHL franchise to win the Walter Cup, with Marie-Philip Poulin selected as the team’s player of the season.In this episode:

• ​Montreal opened the preseason with two wins over the Boston Fleet, including a 3-2 overtime victory and a 3-2 regulation win.
• ​The Victoire finished the regular season with a 16-6-2-6 record, including 16 regulation wins, six overtime wins, six regulation losses, and two overtime losses.
• ​Key regular-season results included wins over Toronto, Minnesota, Ottawa, Vancouver, Seattle, Boston, and the New York Sirens.
• ​Montreal’s postseason began with a 5-4 loss to Minnesota before Anne-Renée Desbiens recorded a shutout in the 1-0 series-evening victory.
• ​The Victoire defeated Minnesota 2-1 in the deciding game of their semifinal series, ending the Frost’s bid for a third consecutive Walter Cup.
• ​Montreal faced Ottawa in the first all-Canadian Walter Cup Final in PWHL history.
• ​The Victoire won the first two championship games, 3-2 in overtime and 2-1, before Ottawa forced a fourth game with a 2-1 victory.
• ​Montreal closed out the series with a 4-0 shutout on May 20, becoming the first Canadian PWHL team to win the Walter Cup.
• ​Marie-Philip Poulin was named Montreal’s player of the season for her leadership and contribution to the championship run.
• ​Thomas previews the offseason, including discussion of the 2026-2027 draft, roster moves, coaching changes, and the league’s expected expansion to 12 teams.

Timestamps:00:00 - Introducing Montreal’s championship season recap01:11 - The Victoire win the Walter Cup02:07 - Montreal reaches the postseason for a third consecutive time05:14 - Meet the general manager, coaching staff, and goaltenders06:38 - Montreal’s preseason roster08:15 - The origins of the Montreal Victoire name and the city’s hockey legacy09:12 - Record attendance at the Bell Centre13:59 - Reviewing Montreal’s preseason against Boston16:24 - Montreal’s 30-game regular-season record17:27 - A shaky start against Boston and a response against New York18:30 - Montreal’s early-season dominance over Toronto19:14 - Wins against Vancouver and the Toronto season series23:59 - Minnesota stands between Montreal and the Walter Cup25:24 - January wins over Minnesota, Ottawa, and Toronto28:52 - Montreal returns from the Olympic break30:21 - A late-season overtime loss to Boston32:16 - April shutouts and the end of the regular season36:30 - Montreal enters the playoffs with a 16-6-2-6 record37:22 - Minnesota takes Game 1 of the semifinal38:21 - Desbiens shuts out Minnesota in triple overtime39:19 - Montreal takes a 2-1 series lead40:26 - The semifinal reaches a deciding fifth game42:12 - Montreal advances to its first Walter Cup Final43:44 - Montreal wins Game 1 against Ottawa in overtime44:14 - The Victoire move within one win of the championship45:11 - Ottawa extends the final with a 2-1 victory46:17 - Montreal wins the Walter Cup with a 4-0 shutout49:39 - The significance of Montreal’s historic championship51:27 - Marie-Philip Poulin named Victoire player of the season52:18 - Looking back at Montreal’s memorable playoff run53:47 - Closing thoughts and offseason preview

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