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Montreal Victoire
Women's professional ice hockey team in Montreal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Montreal Victoire (French: Victoire de Montréal) are a professional ice hockey team based in the Greater Montreal area that competes in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They are one of the six charter franchises of the league. The team plays its home games at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec.
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History
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Founding and inaugural season
On August 29, 2023, it was announced that one of the PWHL's first six franchises would be located in Montreal.[3] On September 1, Danièle Sauvageau, the one-time coach for Canada's national team, was announced as the team's general manager.[4] Kori Cheverie, a former assistant coach with the Canadian national team and the first woman to have coached a Canadian men's hockey team, was named the team's inaugural coach on September 13.[5][6] Montreal's first three players—Canadian national team members Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renée Desbiens—were signed on September 5, 2023.[7] At the 2023 PWHL Draft on September 18, the team selected 15 players; their first pick, at sixth overall, was Canadian national team member Erin Ambrose.[8]
The team colours were officially announced on November 14, 2023, as burgundy, "sand", and "storm".[9] Later that month, it was revealed that the team would host the majority of its games at the Verdun Auditorium, with four games at Place Bell.[10][11] On December 29, the team announced that Poulin would serve as team captain, with Stacey and Erin Ambrose serving as assistant captains.[12]
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Montreal's first ever game took place on January 2, 2024, against PWHL Ottawa; the 8,318 fans in attendance at Ottawa's TD Place Arena set a new attendance record for professional women's hockey.[13] Claire Dalton scored the first goal in franchise history. Although Montreal twice trailed in the game, Ann-Sophie Bettez scored in overtime to secure the team's first win by a score of 3–2.[13] The team hosted its first home game on January 13, with PWHL Boston securing a 3–2 overtime win in front of a sold-out crowd at Verdun Auditorium.[14]
On February 16, 2024, Montreal played a match hosted by PWHL Toronto at Scotiabank Arena in a game dubbed "The Battle on Bay Street".[15] The game set a league and women’s hockey attendance record with a sell-out crowd of 19,285, beating the previous record of 18,013 at the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship.[16] Two months later, on April 20, Montréal hosted Toronto in its first-ever home match at the Bell Centre, selling out the arena and setting another new attendance record at 21,105.[17] This game was known as "The Duel at the Top", with the two teams vying for first place in the standings.[18] Montréal managed to draw large crowds throughout the season.[19]
Montreal clinched a berth in the inaugural PWHL playoffs on March on April 24 with a 5–2 win over PWHL New York.[20] They faced Boston in the first round of the playoffs, and lost three straight games in overtime—including a triple-overtime affair in the second game of the series—to get eliminated from contention.[21][22] After the season, Erin Ambrose was named the league's top defender for its inaugural year.[23]
In September 2024, the team announced that Place Bell would serve as its primary home venue for the 2024–25 season.[24] The Victoire enjoyed success in the regular season, finishing first in the league, while team captain Poulin led the league in goals.[25][26] The Victoire faced the Charge in the semi-finals of the Walter Cup playoffs, but were ousted in four games.[27]
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Season-by-season record
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Team identity
Montreal operated without league branding during the PWHL's inaugural season, along with the other charter franchises. The team was known as PWHL Montreal and wore a league-wide jersey template that featured the city's name diagonally on the front.[28] The team did have its own colour scheme, featuring burgundy, black, and beige. In October 2023, the league registered a trademark for the name Montreal Echo.[29] Ultimately, when the league unveiled franchise names in September 2024, the team was given the name Victoire; it is a nod to the city's history of success in ice hockey.[30] According to a report from The Hockey News, other names in contention for the team included the Lumieres and Metro.[31] In addition to the Victoire name, the team's logo was unveiled, featuring "MV" initials and a fleur-de-lis, Quebec's national symbol.[30] The team retained its colour scheme.
Players and personnel
Current roster
Reserves
All-time players
Team captains
- Marie-Philip Poulin, 2023–present
Head coaches
- Kori Cheverie, 2023–present
First-round draft picks
- 2023: Erin Ambrose (6th overall)
- 2024: Cayla Barnes (5th overall)
- 2025: Nicole Gosling (4th overall)
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Franchise milestones
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Awards and Honors
- Erin Ambrose - 2023–24, PWHL Defender of the Year[38]
- Erin Ambrose - 2023–24 PWHL First Team All-Star[39]
- Maureen Murphy - 2023–24 Hockey for All Award[40]
- Marie-Philip Poulin - 2024–25 PWHL Goals Leader
- Marie-Philip Poulin - 2024–25 Billie Jean King Most Valuable Player[43]
- Laura Stacey - 2024–25 Hockey for All Award[44]
- Ann-Renée Desbiens - 2024–25 PWHL First Team All-Star[45]
- Kori Cheverie - 2025 PWHL Coach of the Year
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References
External links
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