The Montreal Victoire won the Walter Cup on May 20, 2026, defeating the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the PWHL Finals to become the first Canadian team to capture the league championship. The victory ended the series in four games and gave Montreal its first title since the Professional Women’s Hockey League began play in 2024.

According to The Athletic’s report in The New York Times, Montreal won the finale 4-0. Marie-Philip Poulin was named playoff MVP, while goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens delivered the kind of performance that defined Montreal’s postseason. Desbiens stopped all 23 shots she faced, including 13 in the third period, and finished the playoffs with a 1.40 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.

Poulin’s MVP selection added another milestone to a career already packed with them. She co-led the postseason in scoring and scored two game-winning goals during the playoffs, but she deflected credit toward Desbiens after the announcement. That response fits the broader story of Montreal’s run: the team’s stars were not operating in isolation, but as part of a roster built to finish the job after a series of close calls in previous seasons.

The report says Abby Roque produced two goals, including a shorthanded goal that opened the game up in the third period. Her first goal was the eventual championship winner after Poulin fed her in the offensive zone and the puck deflected in off an Ottawa defender. Her second came while Montreal was on the penalty kill, a goal that stood out not only for its timing but for the way it changed the mood in the arena. From there, Montreal added two more goals in the final 10 minutes to put the game out of reach.

The title also carried historical weight for the league. Montreal became the first team other than the Minnesota Frost to win the Walter Cup, and the first Canadian club to do so. That makes the victory important beyond the immediate celebration, because it expands the league’s championship geography and gives the Canadian market an early flagship team in the new era of women’s professional hockey.

The article also shows how the Victoire’s roster was constructed for a run like this. The Athletic reported that offseason additions such as Shiann Darkangelo, Hayley Scamurra and Roque gave the team more depth and versatility. It also highlighted contributions from blue-liner Nicole Gosling and defender Maggie Flaherty, who both had decisive moments during the playoffs. Montreal’s penalty kill was a particular strength, allowing only two goals against across the postseason and none in the Finals.

Beyond the statistics, the championship appeared to carry emotional weight. Poulin and Laura Stacey embraced on the ice after the final buzzer, with both players saying, in effect, that the team had finally done it. After years of frustration and near misses, the Victoire turned a talented roster into a title team. The four-game finish, and the way Montreal controlled the last night, made the result feel less like an upset than the culmination of a carefully assembled plan.