Victoire clinch spot in 2026 Walter Cup Playoffs

We have another contestant for the PWHL postseason, breaking a record in the process.

Thanks to a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Wednesday night, the Montreal Victoire officially earned a berth to the 2026 Walter Cup Playoffs.

With the win, the Victoire also set a new league record for the most consecutive games with a point. The team’s 12-game run surpasses the Toronto Sceptres’ streak of 11 that they set during the 2024 season.

The Victoire are the second team to punch their ticket to the postseason, joining the league-leading Boston Fleet, who did so with a win over the Frost on Sunday, becoming the fastest team in league history to qualify for the playoffs.

The Victoire entered the 2025-26 season as the odds-on favorite to have the best finish among the original six franchises, despite losing a couple of key players during the expansion process. Yet, led by top-end veterans such as captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Ann-Renee Desbiens, Montreal has been right there, once again, battling for first place.

Despite Poulin being out of action due to LTIR, she’s still second on the team in scoring with 17 points in 18 games and is tied for sixth in the PWHL in goals with nine. The biggest offseason addition for Montreal, Abby Roque, has provided a much-needed boost, both offensively and in terms of toughness. The former Siren leads the Victoire with 18 points, good for seventh in the league alongside Kendall Coyne Schofield.

There are also a couple of talented rookies who have contributed to the Victoire’s success. Nicole Gosling has played some heavy minutes this year on defense, while forward Natalie Mlynkova (despite being shopped around near the trade deadline) has shown flashes of being a solid secondary scorer.

Desbiens has been dominant, as per usual, sitting tied for first in the PWHL with Aerin Frankel in save percentage (.954), while Desbiens’ 1.16 goals-against average is atop the league.

Now, Montreal is tasked with doing something the franchise has yet to do in its young history: turn regular-season success into a solid playoff run. The Victoire finished second in the PWHL during the inaugural campaign before winning the regular-season championship last season. Yet the team has been eliminated in the semifinals each year, including a 2024 sweep by Boston and a four-game loss to the Ottawa Charge last season.

After Wednesday night’s action, the Victoire (13-4-2-5) are three points back of the Fleet for first place. Both teams have six games remaining during the regular season.