MONTREAL —
The victorious Montreal Victoire lifted the Walter Cup on home soil Thursday morning after winning the trophy for the first time in the team’s history.
The Victoire defeated the Charge 4-0 in Ottawa on Wednesday night to take the best-of-five Professional Women’s Hockey League final in four games, making them the first Canadian team to win the Cup.
Forward Alexandra Labelle said it was the “cherry on top” to win with a shutout.
“It’s amazing and we’re champions,” she said. “Last night was pretty fun … we drank from the Cup.”
A group of fans welcomed the team as they stepped off the bus in front of the Verdun Auditorium, where they played their first home games when the league was founded in 2023.
Fans clapped and cheered, “Let’s go Victoire!” to welcome the players donning caps and T-shirts with their team logo.
The players, still on cloud nine, couldn’t help but join in on the crowd’s chants of “Olé! Olé! Olé!” as they huddled around team captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who carried the silver trophy.
“It’s pretty heavy,” Poulin told reporters. “It’s been surreal … I’m so excited to come back home, see our fans, our friends and our families. Having done that with such incredible teammates, there’s nothing better.”
Goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens, affectionately nicknamed “le mur” (“the wall” in French), said she barely slept after a night of celebrations.
She said the team had dreamt of winning the Cup at home but were pleased that Montreal fans made the trek to Ottawa to cheer them on and watch them clinch the trophy.
“To see, to meet more fans today, to share a moment with them is truly special. This league doesn’t exist without our fans and the media, so we’re quite happy to share this,” she said.
A group of high schoolgirls stopped by on their lunch break to catch a glimpse of the victorious team and congratulate their idols in the flesh.
Poulin, who was named the post-season MVP after putting up eight points (two goals, six assists) in nine playoff games, said it’s “incredible” to see the impact she and her teammates have had on young girls.
“Giving them something to dream about, it’s something that motivates us every day,” she said.
She added that players like Olympic gold medallists Kim St-Pierre and Caroline Ouellette — who coaches the Victoire — paved the way for them.
Poulin said she had her “ups and downs” this season — including a knee injury during the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games in February — but her teammates got her through the lows.
“When you head to the arena with teammates like these girls, who lift you up day after day during the toughest moments, it’s easy to bounce back. When you put on that jersey, it’s more than just us — it’s the whole city, the fans, family and friends who’ve been there from the start,” said the team captain.
The Victoire say they plan to celebrate their title and rest before the 2026-27 season starts up.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2026.
Sébastien Auger, The Canadian Press
