| Montreal Victoire Victoire de Montréal (French) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Montreal, Quebec |
| League | Professional Women's Hockey League |
| Founded | August 29, 2023 (August 29, 2023) |
| Home arena | Place Bell |
| Colours | Burgundy, sand and storm |
| Owner(s) | Mark Walter Group |
| General manager | Danièle Sauvageau |
| Head coach | Kori Cheverie |
| Captain | Marie-Philip Poulin |
| Website | montreal.thepwhl.com |
| Championships | |
| Walter Cups | 0 |
 Current season | |
The Montreal Victoire (French: Victoire de Montréal) are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, 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.
History
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. On September 1, Danièle Sauvageau, the one-time coach for Canada's national team, was announced as the team's general manager. 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. Montreal's first three players—Canadian national team members Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renée Desbiens—were signed on September 5, 2023. 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.
The team colours were officially announced on November 14, 2023, as burgundy, "sand", and "storm". 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. On December 29, the team announced that Poulin would serve as team captain, with Stacey and Erin Ambrose serving as assistant captains.
.jpg)
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. 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. 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.
On February 16, 2024, Montreal played a match hosted by PWHL Toronto at Scotiabank Arena in a game dubbed "The Battle on Bay Street". 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. 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. This game was known as "The Duel at the Top", with the two teams vying for first place in the standings. Montréal managed to draw large crowds throughout the season.
Montreal clinched a berth in the inaugural PWHL playoffs on March on April 24 with a 5–2 win over PWHL New York. 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. After the season, Erin Ambrose was named the league's top defender for its inaugural year.
In September 2024, the team announced that Place Bell would serve as its primary home venue for the 2024–25 season.
Team identity
Montreal operated with 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. 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. Ultimately, when the league unveiled franchise names in September 2024, the team was given the name Victoire in a nod to the city's history of success in ice hockey. According to a report from The Hockey News, other names in contention for the team included the Lumieres and Metro. In addition to the Victoire name, the team's logo was unveiled, featuring "MV" initials and a fleur-de-lis, Quebec's national symbol. The team retained its colour scheme.
Players and personnel
Current roster
- As of November 29, 2024
Reserves
- As of November 29, 2024
| No. | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 
|
Gabrielle David | F | R | 25 | 2023 | Drummondville, Quebec |
| 4 |
|
Catherine Daoust | D | R | 29 | 2023 | Île Bizard, Quebec |
| 51 |
|
Kelly-Ann Nadeau | D | R | 26 | 2024 | Mont-Laurier, Quebec |
Team captains
- Marie-Philip Poulin, 2023–present
Head coaches
- Kori Cheverie, 2023–present
First-round draft picks
Main article: List of Montreal Victoire draft picks- 2023: Erin Ambrose (6th overall)
- 2024: Cayla Barnes (5th overall)
Franchise milestones
| Milestone | Player | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| First penalty | Marie-Philip Poulin for Holding | January 2, 2024 | PWHL Ottawa |
| First goal | Claire Dalton
Assisted by Jillian Dempsey and Kennedy Marchment |
January 2, 2024 | PWHL Ottawa |
| First win | Ann-Renée Desbiens | January 2, 2024 | PWHL Ottawa |
| First hat-trick | Marie-Philip Poulin | January 10, 2024 | PWHL New York |
References
- "PWHL names six general managers as teams begin roster construction". Sportsnet. Rogers Media. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- Kennedy, Ian (September 13, 2023). "Kori Cheverie To Coach PWHL Montreal". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- Wyshynski, Greg (August 29, 2023). "Six inaugural franchises revealed for new PWHL". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- "PWHL names six general managers as teams begin roster construction". Sportsnet. Rogers Media. September 1, 2023. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- Kennedy, Ian (September 13, 2023). "Kori Cheverie To Coach PWHL Montreal". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- "Kori Cheverie to become 1st woman to coach a Canadian men's hockey team". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. April 14, 2022. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- Laframboise, Kalina (September 7, 2023). "'Women's hockey is growing': Poulin, Desbiens and Stacey sign with PWHL's Montreal team". globalnews.ca.
- Donkin, Karissa (September 19, 2023). "New beginnings and dreams coming true: 3 stories from the inaugural PWHL draft". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- Kennedy, Ian (November 23, 2023). "PWHL Releases Jersey Designs". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- "Montreal PWHL team begins season Jan. 2, home opener Jan. 13 in Verdun". Montreal Gazette. November 28, 2023. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- Donkin, Karissa (November 30, 2023). "PWHL releases full 72-game schedule ahead of inaugural season". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- Donkin, Karissa (December 29, 2023). "Marie-Philip Poulin, Brianne Jenner named captains of PWHL Montreal, Ottawa". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ Brennan, Don (January 2, 2024). "A Night to Remember: Montreal scores OT win in Ottawa's historic PWHL opener". Ottawa Sun. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- Rainbird, Daniel (January 13, 2024). "Boston's Pelkey spoils Montreal's PWHL home opener in OT after Poulin's disallowed goal". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- "Scotiabank Arena to host PWHL's 'Battle on Bay Street' between Toronto, Montreal". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. January 25, 2024. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- Ibrahim, Abdulhamid (February 16, 2024). "PWHL Toronto tops Montreal 3-0 in front of record-setting crowd at Scotiabank Arena". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- Rainbird, Daniel (April 20, 2024). "PWHL-leading Toronto clinches playoff berth, wins in OT before record crowd in Montreal". CBC Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- Rowe, Daniel J. (April 20, 2024). "Nurse OT winner breaks Montreal hearts as Toronto wins PWHL 'Duel at the Top'". CTV News. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- "PWHL Montreal draws high attendance in inaugural season". Sports Business Journal. Leaders Group. May 20, 2024. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- "O'Neill scores, assists as PWHL Montreal clinches playoff berth in win over New York". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. April 24, 2024. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- "Boston knocks Montreal out of playoffs in PWHL semifinal". Montreal Gazette. May 15, 2024. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- Laprade, Pat (May 18, 2024). "Back To Work This Offseason For PWHL Montreal Players, In Many Ways". The Hockey News. Brantford, Ontario: Roustan Media. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- "PWHL Awards: Erin Ambrose named top defender for 2024 season". CityNews Montreal. June 11, 2024. Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- "PWHL Montreal is making Laval's Place Bell its home for team's 2nd season". CBC News. September 4, 2024. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- Ibrahim, Abdulhamid (January 2, 2024). "PWHL sorting out missing pieces like team names and logos as it goes along". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
However there are some missing pieces, such as names and logos for the six teams. "I don't, I don't," PWHL advisory board member Stan Kasten said Monday on whether he has a timeline for those key elements to be included.
- Salvian, Hailey (October 26, 2023). "Potential names for PWHL's original 6 franchises revealed". The Athletic. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ Wawrow, John (September 9, 2024). "PWHL reveals names, logos for all 6 franchises ahead of second season". CBC Sports. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- Kennedy, Ian (September 9, 2024). "These Were The Final Four Names In Contention For Each Of The PWHL's Six Teams". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Sportsnet Staff (November 29, 2024). "PWHL teams unveil opening day rosters ahead of regular season opener". SportsNet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Montréal Victoire Roster". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. November 29, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
External links
| Montreal Victoire | |
|---|---|
| Franchise | |
| General Managers |
|
| Head coaches |
|
| Arenas |
|
| Seasons | |
| Leagues |
|
| Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) | |
|---|---|
| Teams | |
| Seasons | |
| Drafts | |
| Personnel | |
| Trophies | |
| Professional women's hockey seasons | |
|---|---|
| NWHL | |
| WWHL | |
| CWHL | |
| NWHL/PHF | |
| SDHL | |
| PWHPA | |
| PWHL | |
| Clarkson Cup | |
| Isobel Cup | |