Montreal Victoire Clinch First Walter Cup With Game 4 Victory
Written By Josie Dinonsie
KANATA, Ontario — The Montreal Victoire are 2025-26 PWHL Walter Cup champions after completing a commanding 4-0 series sweep of the Ottawa Charge with a Game 4 victory Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre. In a tense, tightly contested game, Montreal erupted for three goals in the final 10 minutes to seal the franchise’s first championship in emphatic fashion.
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin once again led the way for Montreal, finishing the postseason with eight points and capturing the Ilana Kloss MVP Trophy. Poulin tied the league record for postseason scoring and assisted on Abby Roque’s second-period opener, a goal that shifted momentum firmly toward the Victoire.
Abby Roque delivered a standout performance with two goals in Game 4, bringing her postseason total to eight points and tying Poulin for the league lead. After opening the scoring in the second period, Roque struck again with a short-handed, unassisted goal in the third, doubling Montreal’s lead and silencing the Ottawa crowd as the championship came into view.
The Victoire continued to pour it on moments later when Maggie Flaherty blasted home Montreal’s third goal at 13:54 of the final frame. The goal marked her third of the postseason and secured another milestone in an already historic career, as Flaherty became the first player in PWHL history to win three Walter Cups.
Less than two minutes later, Lina Ljungblom added the finishing touch with an unassisted goal to make it 4-0. Montreal’s three-goal explosion in just over five minutes turned a close championship battle into a celebration on the ice as the Victoire officially became Canada’s first Walter Cup champions.
In net, Ann-Renée Desbiens was once again dominant, stopping all 23 shots she faced to record her second shutout of the postseason and earn second-star honours. Desbiens, alongside Poulin and Laura Stacey, has remained a cornerstone of the franchise since the league’s inaugural season in 2023.
Montreal’s defensive consistency defined its playoff run from start to finish. The Victoire successfully killed off 25 penalties during the postseason, the highest total by any team in a single PWHL playoff run.
After the victory, Poulin reflected on the adversity Montreal overcame throughout the season.
“It was very special. It's been a tough year, I'm not going to lie, since February. It was ups and downs, coming back to this group, just fighting through. It hasn't been easy—injuries, sickness, a lot of things—but we stuck together. We knew it wasn't going to be easy in this building when we showed up today, but we remained patient with our game.”
Head coach Kori Cheverie, who became the first woman head coach to win the Walter Cup, praised the resilience that carried Montreal through the season.
“There were highs, there were lows, and we were able to kind of get through all of those adversity moments as a team. Whatever team we had on the ice was a team we were able to win with, so it’s been absolutely amazing with this group.”
Through resilience, leadership and a dominant finish, the Victoire captured the first Walter Cup in franchise history and cemented their place in PWHL history.
