The Montreal Victoire is on the way to its first-ever Walter Cup final after eliminating the Minnesota Frost in a final Game 5 on Tuesday in the opening round of the Professional Women’s Hockey League playoffs.
The top-seeded Victoire won 2-1 over the two-time defending champions, ending the best-of-five game semifinal series at home at Laval’s Place Bell. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin’s third-period goal was the difference.
“It feels really good, I’m not going to lie,” Poulin said of the win and advancing to the final. “You know, you work so hard for moments like these. First year, second year, you’re always a little bit on the sidelines.
“So to finally do it here, at home, Game 5, to make it to the final — we did it tonight, but we’re not finished. We’re eager, and I think this is just the beginning of something.”
The Victoire will face the Ottawa Charge in the final. The Charge beat the Boston Fleet in their semifinal.
The final game of the Montreal-Minnesota series was initially scheduled for Monday, but it was postponed due to illness. The announcement came just a few hours before players were set to hit the ice for Game 5, and some fans had already arrived to find the entrance closed.
On Tuesday, the arena wasn’t as packed as usual, with the upper bowl empty at the start of the rescheduled game.
“It was a little disappointing, but better that everyone is healthy,” Victoire fan Caroline Tremblay said of the postponement. “And you know it worked that I could come back today so it’s not bad.”
Jessica Reardon, who described herself as a big women’s hockey fan, said she knew the decisive matchup “would happen soon enough” right after it was pushed back.
“I was just so anxious I couldn’t even process it,” she said of the delayed game.
After a back-and-forth series, Montreal is one step closer to its first championship. While the team has reached the playoffs in each of its three seasons, it lost both its first two years in the first round, to Boston and Ottawa respectively.
The mood was festive during the do-or-die game, with the crowd erupting into loud cheers when the Victoire’s Catherine Dubois notched the first goal of the game. The Frost’s Samantha Cogan tied it up in the second period, only for Poulin to take back the lead with a goal in the third.
Victoire forward Marie-Philip Poulin shoots what would be a third-period goal against the Minnesota Frost in Game 5 of their PWHL semifinal series at Place Bell in Laval on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Arianne Bergeron / PWHL
Tanvi Kumar, 12, said her dad knows she enjoys watching the Victoire play, “so he decided to surprise me with tickets.”
Her father noted because of the rescheduling, he would have one headphone to keep up to date on the Montreal Canadiens’ Game 4 against the Buffalo Sabres.
Her favourite part about the Victoire is that it demonstrates that it’s not only men and boys who can play hockey at the professional level.
“It shows that girls can do things too,” Kumar said, adding she hopes to attend a game in the finals.
‘Biggest win’ in Victoire’ history, coach says
The Victoire’s win means it’s the first time since the league’s inception the Frost has failed to advance past the semifinal or win the Walter Cup. It’s also the first time the Walter Cup will be an all-Canadian matchup.
“I think it’s our biggest win in our organization’s history,” Victoire coach Kori Cheverie told reporters after Game 5. “We had to fight tooth and nail against a team like Minnesota. It wasn’t easy.”
Whatever happens in the Walter Cup Finals, the cup is coming home ??
Congratulations to the Montréal Victoire on securing their spot in the finals! https://t.co/svZckauf1t
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) May 13, 2026
Minnesota won 5-4 in overtime in Game 1 against Montreal. The Victoire then tied it up after Poulin broke a scoreless draw in the third overtime period of Game 2.
The series then shifted to Minnesota, where the Victoire took the lead with a tight 2-1 win Thursday night in Game 3. The Frost bounced back with a 3-1 victory the following night, tying up the series.
The final game of the series was initially scheduled for Monday, but it was postponed due to illness. The announcement came just a few hours before players were set to hit the ice for Game 5, and some fans had already arrived to find the entrance closed.
In the PWHL, the team atop the standings gets to select its opponent in the semifinals from the third- and fourth-place clubs. This year, first-place Montreal chose third-place Minnesota over fourth-place Ottawa. Before the playoffs, the Victoire had swept the Frost during the season, winning all four matchups.
The Victoire will now face the Charge, which finished off the Fleet with a 4-3 double overtime win Sunday and had been waiting to find out who its opponent would be. This is the second year in a row that Ottawa has made it to the final round.
Kayley Kennedy, who travelled from Ottawa to see the Victoire in action, said she would be happy to see the Victoire take on her second favourite club.
“I believe in the team,” she said of the Victoire.
The Victoire players “know what to do,” Tremblay said of the next challenge.
“I think if they keep doing what they’re doing and just keep showing up, giving everything, I’m pretty sure we will see the results,” she said.
Walter Cup final schedule
Game 1: Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m. (Place Bell), TSN5, RDS.
Game 2: Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m. (Place Bell), TSN1, RDS.
Game 3: Monday, May 18, 6 p.m. (Canadian Tire Centre), TSN5, RDS.
Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, May 20, 7 p.m. (Canadian Tire Centre), TSN5, RDS.
Game 5 (if necessary): Date/time TBD (Place Bell), TSN, RDS.
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