3 Takeaways from Montreal Victoire’s 4-0 Shutout Win Over Charge in Game 4 of Walter Cup Final – Hockey Writers – Montreal Victoire

On Wednesday, the Montreal Victoire won their first championship in franchise history with a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Walter Cup Final. The Charge won Game 3 to force a Game 4, but Victoire owned the contest, winning the best-of-five series 3-1.

After a scoreless opening, Victoire got on the board just three minutes into the second half. They took their third penalty in the game in the third period but scored a short goal to go 2-0. Four minutes later, they scored again, another goal two minutes later gave them a four goal cushion. The Charge pulled their goalie with four minutes remaining, but Victoire held on for a 4-0 victory to become the first Canadian team to win the Walter Cup.

Roque Scored a Great Goal in Jailbreak

Abby Roque opened the scoring for Victoire, and in the third period, Marie-Philip Poulin was in the box after being interfered with by the goalkeeper, and drove it into the net when they were separated. With a sharp backhand shot, he gave Victoire a two-goal lead.

Roque recorded eight points in nine playoff games, spending most of his time playing on the starting line alongside Poulin and Laura Stacey. This was his first taste of the postseason after spending his first two seasons in the PWHL with the New York Sirens. He was traded to Victoire during the 2025 entry draft for Kristin O’Neill and the 28th overall pick.

Desbiens is surprised by the accusation

The Charge’s Gwyneth Philips and Ann-Renee Desbiens were the stars of the final series. Both goalkeepers have been a big reason why the three Walter Cup Finals have been low-scoring, up until this one. In Game 4, Desbiens put on a master class, stopping all 23 shots he faced in the championship win. This was his first shutout in the Walter Cup finals and second in the playoffs.

During the regular season, she recorded seven shutouts, one short of Aerin Frankel’s league-leading eight. He recorded a goals-against average of 1.40 and a save percentage (SV%) of .944 in the playoffs.

Victoire Officially Removes Snow

This Canadian final was the first in PWHL history. The first two Walter Cups were won by Minnesota Frost. Although Victoire was on the road, they still won the Walter Cup in Canada as Game 4 was played in Ottawa. However, the Cup remains in Canada for the 2025-26 season.

Poulin won the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award. Victoire’s captain, a mainstay of women’s hockey and the PWHL since its inception, added two major awards to her trophy case.

Hayley Scamurra also became the first PWHL player to win the Walter Cup and an Olympic gold medal in the same season. Scamurra has recorded four points in all nine postseason games, sitting fifth on the Victoire points leaderboard.

Heading into the Offseason

There is no rest for the champions as the first season will start next week. With four teams joining the league in the 2026-27 season, every team will look different this fall. A few weeks ago, the PWHL announced that PWHL Detroit, PWHL Las Vegas, PWHL Hamilton, and PWHL San Jose would be joining the league, beginning in the 2026-27 season.

The four expansion teams will build their rosters through a five-stage process that culminates with the PWHL Entry Draft on June 17 in Detroit. The details of the expansion plan are still to be finalized, but the first phase is expected to start on May 21, with each of the eight teams in the field to protect three players. From there, the four expansion teams will release a list of 20 players they would like to negotiate a contract with.

After the end of the first signing process, the eight suspended teams are allowed to secure three more players. After that, four expansion teams will be allowed to sign up to 10 players during the high signing window, with no established team losing more than four players. After this, the PWHL will host its draft, and two days after that, free agency opens, so any player whose contract is expiring can sign with a new team.

While the makeup of the 2026-27 Victoire roster will look very different next season, this was a milestone win for the Montreal team.