The PWHL's Walter Cup is heading north of the border for the first time in league history. In a stunning semifinal upset, the Montreal Victoire ended the Minnesota Frost's three-peat dreams, setting up an all-Canadian final against the Ottawa Charge.
It was a night of high drama at Place Bell, where captain Marie-Philip Poulin delivered the dagger in the third period. The Victoire superstar collected a pass near the left goal line and beat goaltender Maddie Rooney high from a sharp angle, breaking a 1-1 tie and sending Montreal to its first Walter Cup final. The 2-1 victory came just one night after the league postponed Game 5 due to five Montreal players falling ill.
Catherine Dubois opened the scoring for the Victoire, capitalizing on a perfect face-off win from Poulin. Minnesota answered back eight minutes into the second period when Samantha Cogan netted her first goal as a Frost player. But from there, Montreal's defense tightened, holding Minnesota to just 26 shots on the night while goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer stood tall when it mattered most.
The win carries extra weight for a franchise that chose Minnesota as its first-round opponent after finishing atop the PWHL standings, tied with Boston. "I think it's our biggest win in organization history," said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. "We had to fight tooth and nail against a team like Minnesota. It wasn't easy. Every goal felt like we had to fight against Rooney to get it past the goal line. It just shows a lot of what we've been through as an organization for three years."
With Boston eliminated in four games by Ottawa, the stage is now set for a historic showdown. The Charge return to the Walter Cup final for the second straight season, while Montreal makes its first appearance. After Minnesota and Boston battled in the league's inaugural season, and Minnesota faced Ottawa last year, the 2026 final marks the first time two Canadian teams will compete for the title.
For the Victoire, the path to the championship now runs through Ottawa, with both teams carrying the weight of history—and the hopes of an entire nation—on their shoulders.