The Montreal Victoire finished first overall in the 2024-25 PWHL regular season, before falling for the second straight season in the opening round of the PWHL playoffs.
This offseason, general manager Daniele Sauvageau, who will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame this year as a builder, put on a masterclass retooling her roster following the devastating blow to the league's original six in expansion. She came out with a roster that somehow looks better constructed than the first place team of 2024-25.
If there are question marks in the roster, they are positional in terms of where forwards will line up, and if their blue line will be as good as it was last year.
Offseason report cards are based not only on how each position and item is predicted to perform next season, but also on the offseason changes to the role. Here's a look.
Offense: A
Not only is Montreal returning Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey up front, but they acquired Abby Roque in a trade, brought in Shiann Darkangelo, Hayley Scamura, and Jade Downie-Landry as free agents, and drafted Natalie Mlynkova, Skylar Irving, and Maya Labad. Their biggest offensive losses were rookies Jennifer Gardiner and Abigail Boreen, but this team added far more than they lost offensively. For the first time Montreal will be wielding four deep lines all capable of producing. They lost defensive stalwarts on the back end, but adding Nicole Gosling replaces the blue line offense lost when Cayla Barnes was signed by Seattle.
Defence: B-
Erin Ambrose, Kati Tabin, Nicole Gosling, and Jessica DiGirolamo are a respectable top four, with veterans Maggie Flaherty and Amanda Boulier rounding out the top six. Losing Barnes, Anna Wilgren, and Mariah Keopple was a hard pill to swallow, but the fact they were able to keep the 2024 PWHL Defender of the Year in Erin Ambrose was a huge victory. This is a solid, but unremarkable group beyond their top three. Still, Montreal has veteran depth at the position, and their forward group are hardly incapable of shutting down their own share of chances.
Goaltending: A-
When you have the reigning PWHL Goaltender of the Year in net, there are few question marks. Ann-Renee Desbiens is Montreal's starting goaltender, and the backbone of this team. Her performance in year two of the PWHL was both consistent and stellar. Behind Desbiens this year, however, is the unproven Sandra Abstreiter. Most believe Abstreiter can take games in this league, but the PWHL has proven a challenge for many players otherwise thought to be sure things. The big German netminder was solid at Worlds and the Olympic Game Qualifiers last year for Germany, but she hasn't faced a lot of game situations in the last two years. The only question mark here is if Desbiens falters due to the strenuous year ahead, can Abstreiter be a starter in the league.
Coaching: A
The reigning PWHL Coach of the Year has put up solid regular season results, but has faltered in the playoffs two straight years. Year one was rife with issues surrounding how Kori Cheverie used her bench in the playoffs, riding a small group into exhaustion. Year two that wasn't the case, but the result was the same. With arguably Montreal's strongest ever roster coming to camp, Cheverie needs to show she can get her team out of the opening round of playoffs. With two talented expansion teams added to an already competitive league, it will be no easy feat. She faced pushback from Montreal media this year and stood her ground, which takes guts in itself. Cheverie is a true pro, but it's time to get this team to the finals.
Intangibles: A+
How can you argue with the top-to-bottom character of this club? Starting with Hall of Fame builder Daniele Sauvageau and Cheverie's bold support of her players, to Captain Clutch herself Marie-Philip Poulin. Montreal's room is tight, and if players aren't putting in what they need to, there is accountability. Montreal has a solid mix of character individuals from top-end players Poulin to Ambrose, down to their fourth liners. Even adding Abby Roque, who was a concern in New York, won't throw off this team as their locker room leadership is entrenched, and Roque will have to toe the line. This team has a mix of skill sets this season that will make them harder to play against at both ends of the ice, and they're entering hungry to win after two early postseason exits.