All Four Teams Clinch PWHL Playoff Berths as Walter Cup Race Begins
Boston Fleet forward Hillary Knight scores against Minnesota Frost goaltender Nicole Hensley on April 22, 2026. Photo credits: Jenn G.
Written by Ella Rose Licata
The race for the Walter Cup is on as the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) heads into the playoffs with all four spots officially claimed. The Boston Fleet, Montréal Victoire, Minnesota Frost, and Ottawa Charge now turn their focus to postseason hockey, where every game could define the league’s next champion.
The first playoff game will feature the Boston Fleet and will take place at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, on April 30. The second game will spotlight the Montréal Victoire in Laval, Quebec, at Place Bell Arena on May 2.
The Vancouver Goldeneyes head coach shared his insight on the game that secured the Montréal Victoire their spot in the bracket after a 3–0 shutout:
“It was a playoff type atmosphere, and anybody's game coming into the third. So, hats off to Montréal. I thought they played a very solid game from start to finish. Obviously [through the first two periods Vancouver had] some pretty big penalty kills, and I thought we did much better in the second with the neutral zone and played some good road hockey. Just hoping to create a little more in the third there, get an opportunity,” said Brian Idalski.
Key players to keep an eye on as the pressure builds include the Fleet’s Olympic ‘golden goal’ scorer Megan Keller, the Frost’s 2024 playoff MVP Taylor Heise, and the Victoire’s 2024–25 Goaltender of the Year Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Since the women’s league is still young, this marks only the third opportunity players have had to compete for the Cup.
Previous PWHL playoff seasons have been marked by back-to-back wins in favor of the Minnesota Frost. Opposing teams are eager to become the next champions and knock the Frost off their reigning first-place podium.
In the playoffs, four teams compete in a bracket system. It is a best-of-five series, where the first team to win three games advances. There are only two rounds: the semifinals and the finals. If a game goes into overtime, play will continue until a goal is scored, without the possibility of a shootout.
The Walter Cup is the prize awarded through the PWHL playoffs. Designed and crafted in collaboration with Tiffany and Co., the Cup was created to symbolize the future of women’s professional sports. The inclusion of six ‘W’s on the trophy represents the six professional teams currently active in the league.
Boston’s assistant coach was asked to speak on the team’s energy before playing the deciding game against the Minnesota Frost that secured their position in the playoffs.
“Coach Sparre spoke at the start of the year in our training camp that we had something to prove. I think that's the mentality that we come into every building with and address every game with. From top down in our lineup tonight, we showed that we wanted to do that here in Minnesota and it was a pretty complete game for us. We want to keep rolling; we know that the job’s not done,” said Stefanie McKeough.
