The Montreal Victoire have been more physical this season, and their fans are as ravenous as ever, making a stop at Place Bell more intimidating than ever for opposing teams.
Strength. Physical play. Body checks that hurt.
That’s what the Montreal Victoire was missing during its first two seasons. And after Sunday’s game against Toronto, it’s an aspect of their game that even the opposing team now acknowledges.
At the press conference following Montreal’s win, one of the world’s top defenders, Renata Fast, mentioned that her team hadn’t been able to play as physical as their opponent.
Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan added that the 2025-26 version of Montreal is the most physical version he’s faced since the start of the PWHL, citing hard checks on two of his star players, Blayre Turnbull and Emma Maltais.
Danièle Sauvageau must have been happy to hear those remarks.
The general manager worked tirelessly over the off-season to improve this aspect of her team, despite the departure of several players and a tight budget.
Four Of The Top 25
Last season, Montreal had only one player among the top 25 in the hits category.Looking to improve things, Sauvageau acquired forward Abby Roque through a trade, who finished last season second in the league with 62 hits. Then, she signed defence players Jessica DiGirolamo, who ranked eighth in the same category. Finally, she also signed Montreal native Jade Downie-Landry, who, with her tall frame, ranked 24th.And just like that, Montreal can now count on four of the top 25 in this category. Although JDL hasn’t played yet due to an injury to her left-hand index finger, the contributions of Roque and DiGirolamo are already being felt.
Adding to them is a Catherine Dubois who plays a very physical game. There are also defenders like Amanda Boulier and Kati Tabin who don’t let anyone push them around, and a Laura Stacey who makes her presence felt, and suddenly, Montreal becomes a tough team when it comes to the physical aspect.Are they the best in the league? No.But it’s a clear improvement that could make a difference throughout the regular season, and especially in the playoffs, where this weakness was more noticeable against Boston and Ottawa.
Hard To Win At Bell Place
Head coach Kori Cheverie spoke of a mission accomplished in that regard in reference to Sunday’s game. She is also very happy that the summer additions are proving beneficial to them early in the season. Laura Stacey mentioned being pleased to hear that this version of her team is seen as the most physical of the three, adding that it was a big part of their off-season, training camp, early season, and their 12 days off. Since Bell Place is already not an easy arena for the visiting team, with 8,000 fans roaring to support their team, if the Victoire can also hurt its opponents on top of that, it’s a combination that could be both lethal and successful.
From the notes on my iPhone
• I don’t know who gives out the three stars of the game, but the fact that Ann-Renée Desbiens didn’t get one is hard to understand. She was fantastic during the four consecutive minutes on the penalty kill in the third period, especially since two of those four minutes were at five-on-three. Desbiens and Aerin Frankel from Boston seem to be on a mission this Olympic year.
• A word on the number of shots blocked by the Montreal players. Yesterday, while Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped five shots during the three penalties the team took in 90 seconds, the defenders core blocked four.
• This season, the quartet consisting of Jessica DiGirolamo, Maggie Flaherty, Erin Ambrose, and Amanda Boulier has blocked 32 shots, second in this category behind New York. Ambrose leads the league with 11 shots blocked all by herself.
• After a 12-day break, the Victoire begins another 10-day break, this time due to the international break. While the Canada vs. United States rivalry series takes place in Edmonton, a tournament featuring Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic will be held in Finland.
• If the Victoire's next game is on December 17, local fans will have to wait 20 days to see their team at home, as Montreal will host Toronto at the Bell Centre on December 27. The team will not return to the Bell Centre until January 4, 2026.
• Lina Ljungblom was seen for the first time at a Montreal practice on Friday and was at Bell Place for the first time as well on Sunday.