Montreal Victoire

The Montréal Victoire () are a professional women's ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They play home games at the Place Bell in Laval.
==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 Montréal. On September 1, Daniele 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. Montréal's first three players—Canadian national team members Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renee 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.
Montréal'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 Montréal 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, Montréal 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.
Montréal 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.
On September 9, 2024, the team's new logo and name was unveiled as the Montréal Victoire, named the city's competitive spirit.
==Players and personnel==
===Current roster===
 
===Reserves===
===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)
== Franchise milestones ==
Milestone 	Player 	Date 	Opponent
First penalty 	Marie-Philip Poulin for Holding	January 02, 2024	PWHL Ottawa
First goal 	Claire Dalton
Assisted by Jillian Dempsey and Kennedy Marchment	January 02, 2024	PWHL Ottawa
First win 	Ann-Renée Desbiens 	January 02, 2024	PWHL Ottawa
First hat-trick	Marie-Philip Poulin 	January 10, 2024	PWHL New York
==References==
==External links==
* 
 
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2023
Category:Professional Women's Hockey League teams
Category:Women's ice hockey teams in Canada
Category:Ice hockey teams in Montreal