The Montreal Victoire are 7-0-0 at Place Bell this season, and for good reason as their home crowd is like having a seventh player on the ice.
When it comes to playing at Place Bell, nobody wants to step on the ice who isn't wearing a Montreal Victoire uniform. The Victoire remain the only PWHL team this season yet to lose on home ice with a perfect 7-0-0 record in front of their home crowd.
Montreal has lost once this season in a "home" game, but that game took place at the Bell Centre, not Place Bell.
For opponents, the atmosphere at Place Bell has been a point of conversation since the Victoire moved to the venue permanently ahead of the league's second season. This year, including their most recent win, a 4-0 victory over Minnesota this week in front of a sold out crowd of 10,172 has been no exception.
The crowds in Montreal are overwhelmingly loud, and give the Victoire extra motivation.
“I mean, the fans are incredible here," said Laura Stacey, who was named the game's first star in Montreal's win over Minnesota on Sunday. "We just talked about it, we're looking onto that ice, and it’s a packed house, it's loud. Sometimes you can't even hear what (head coach) Kori (Cheverie) is telling us to do on the bench, but they really are that extra player for us. We have a shot on goal, and they're lifting us up on the penalty kill. We get a huge kill in the five on three, and the crowd lights up and it's electric in this building. Honestly, it's those little moments that make a huge difference, and I think we all feel it, and we get fired up to come and play in front of our crowd and the people who support us."
Montreal has won two straight following the Olympic break, and five straight overall climbing to sole possession of first overall in the PWHL, one point ahead of Boston who has held the spot for most of the season.