For the first time in the PWHL's three seasons, the Minnesota Frost will not be the Walter Cup champions. That moniker will go to either the Ottawa Charge or Montreal Victoire as the pair are set to face-off in an all-Canadian Walter Cup final.
The Montreal Victoire got a third period winner from captain Marie-Philip Poulin to lift the top seed to a game five win and series victory over the back-to-back Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost.
Played one night after the league postponed game five following five players on Montreal's roster falling ill, the Victoire held on for a 2-1 win despite being outshot 26-17 in the game by Minnesota.
Catherine Dubois opened the scoring for Montreal off a Poulin face-off win.
Minnesota tied the game eight minutes into the second period as Samantha Cogan scored her first goal as a member of the Minneota Frost.
In the third it was Poulin who took a pass near the left side goal line before beating Maddie Rooney high from a sharp angle.
Montreal chose Minnesota as their opening round opponent after finishing first overall in the PWHL. They were tied in points with Boston atop the league standings. Boston was eliminated in four games by the Ottawa Charge who are returning to the Walter Cup final for the second straight season.
"“I think it's our biggest win in organization history. We had to fight tooth and nail against a team like Minnesota. It wasn't easy," said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. "Every goal felt like we had to fight against [Maddie] Rooney to get it past the goal line. And it just felt like they'd come right back, or vice versa. They'd score, we'd come right back. It just shows a lot of what we've been through as an organization for three years. The coaches, we just kind of stood there on the bench and we were like, ‘Wow, that took three years to do.’ It's not just overnight that a win like that happens. This group really showed up for our organization.”
All-Canadian Final Forthcoming
With Minnesota and Boston playing in the PWHL's inaugural season, and Minnesota and Ottawa facing off last year, the 2026 Walter Cup final will be the first time in the league's young history that two Canadian teams will play for the title.
For Team Canada and Montreal captain Marie-Philip, the opportunity to play for a Walter Cup is special.
“It's very special. Obviously, you work so hard for these moments," said Poulin. "We knew it would never be easy. Obviously, taking Minnesota—who were two-time champs—was going to be a battle, and we did it. We're happy right now, but we're not done yet. We want to get to work here, and we're excited to get going on the 14th.”
Montreal will have only one day off before they're back in action hosting the Ottawa Charge on Thursday, May 14 for game one at 7pm. Game two will tae place May 16 at Place Bell, before the series shifts to Ottawa for game three on May 16, and game four on May 18. If necessary, game five details will be made available at a later date.