For the first time, the Montréal Victoire start a season as champions. The club won its first Walter Cup last spring, beating the Ottawa Charge in the final, and the defence of that title begins on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Place Bell. With training camp opening Nov. 18, now is a good time to catch up on a busy, sometimes painful off-season: an expansion draft that cost the team several familiar faces, a promising draft class, and the knee injury that will keep captain Marie-Philip Poulin out for months.
The Montréal Victoire open on Hockey Night in Canada
According to the PWHL’s announcement, the home opener against PWHL Hamilton on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. will make history as the first women’s hockey game featured on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, which is in its 90th consecutive season. It’s one of six games on an opening weekend (Dec. 5 and 6) that will see all 12 teams in action. In French, Radio-Canada holds exclusive audio rights to every Victoire game this season.
- Nov. 18: training camps open
- Nov. 24 and 25: preseason scrimmages in Wellesley, Massachusetts
- Dec. 5: home opener vs. Hamilton, 7 p.m., Place Bell
- Dec. 12: vs. San Jose at Place Bell
- Dec. 26: vs. Ottawa at Place Bell, a rematch of the final
Who left: an expansion hit on the blue line
With the league expanding, champions or not, the Victoire had to give up players. As Habs Eyes on the Prize laid out, Montreal first protected Laura Stacey, Poulin and goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens, then lost defender Nicole Gosling to Hamilton and defender Erin Ambrose and forward Hayley Scamurra to Las Vegas. In the second round, after protecting Maggie Flaherty (who re-signed), Kati Tabin and Lina Ljungblom, the team lost forwards Maureen Murphy (Las Vegas), Shiann Darkangelo (Detroit) and Natálie Mlýnková (San Jose).
That’s a lot of championship DNA heading out the door, especially on defence, where Gosling had developed into one of the league’s best and Ambrose had spent close to eight years in Montreal with the Canadiennes and the Victoire.
Who arrived: a draft built for now
The good news came on draft day, which opened with the re-signing of forward Abby Roque. With the 12th overall pick, Montreal took Finnish forward Petra Nieminen, who led Sweden’s SDHL in scoring the last two seasons and should step straight into the top six. Cornell forward Avi Adam, shot-blocking defender Zoe Uens, Ohio State goalie Hailey MacLeod, veteran defender Erica Rieder and Concordia’s Émilie Lavoie rounded out the class.
The Poulin question
The biggest story is the captain. Poulin was hurt at the 2026 Olympics, came back in time to lead the playoff run and was named playoff MVP, then had surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus. In an Oct. 2 interview on TVA, reported by The Hockey News, she said there’s no date circled on the calendar: the usual recovery is nine to 12 months, and she hopes to return this season, but only when she’s 100 per cent.
In her absence, the leadership spotlight is shifting. Her teammate (and wife) Laura Stacey has been named co-captain of Team Canada with Renata Fast for the World Championship, as The Hockey News reported this week. It’s the first major international event without Poulin since 2009.
What to watch this season
- Defence depth: Flaherty, Tabin and rookie Uens will carry a heavier load after the expansion losses.
- Nieminen’s adjustment: a proven scorer in Europe gets her first taste of the PWHL’s pace.
- Desbiens in goal: the protected netminder remains the backbone, with MacLeod developing behind her.
- Poulin’s timeline: any update from rehab will be big news in Montreal.
Getting to Place Bell
Place Bell is in downtown Laval, a short walk from the Montmorency metro station at the end of the orange line, which makes it an easy trip from Montreal. Tickets for the home opener are sold through Ticketmaster via the PWHL. While you wait, the Laval Rocket also play at Place Bell; our sports section has all the schedules, and our list of bars to watch the Canadiens works for road games too.
For more on Montreal’s other champions-in-waiting, revisit our look at the city’s 2026 championship hopes and our latest weekend recap. Allez la Victoire!
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Photo: Bryantriplex / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: PWHL, Habs Eyes on the Prize, The Hockey News (Poulin), The Hockey News (captaincy), Laval Rocket
