The Montreal Victoire has officially announced its training camp roster and aside from one addition, there has been no surprises to what we already knew. 

Earlier in August it was reported that four players had received invitations: forward Audrey-Ann Veillette, defence player Kelly-Ann Nadeau, as well as goalies Tricia DeGuire and Megan Warrener. 

The four of them are on the list released on Thursday. 

Also on the list, there’s Dara Greig, who is an interesting case. 

No news was released about her since the end of last season. But the league changed its rules and for a player drafted in 2024 who signed a one-year deal, a team needed to submit a qualifying offer before June 27 or the player would become free agent as of July 8. Many believed at the time that Greig didn’t receive a qualifying offer. 

That said, just recently, her name was spotted on the Montreal Victoire roster on the PWHL web site. When asked about it, since no contract signature was reported, the team told The Hockey News that all players on the league’s web site were players under contract or whose rights belong to the team. Since she wasn’t under any contract, the only logical explanation was that she actually did receive a qualifying offer, or her rights wouldn’t belong to Montreal. From that point forward, it was believed she would be in Montreal for camp. And she was indeed on the official roster. 

A Power Forward Added to Camp Roster 

Only one name was added to the five we already knew and it’s power forward Claire Vekich. Last season with Minnesota State University, she scored 16 goals and added 11 assists in 37 games. At 5 foot 10, she has the size Montreal has been looking for the first two seasons. 

GM Danièle Sauvageau added some of that with some free agents signing such as Jessica DiGirolamo, Maggie Flaherty, and Shiann Darkangelo. And with players like Abby Boreen, Clair DeGeorge and Flaherty, there’s something that Sauvageau likes about Minnesotans or women who played in the State of Hockey. 

Who Will Make the Cut?

With 11 forwards, six defence players, and two goalies under contract, for a total of 19 players, only four contracts are available. Most probably two forwards, one D, and one goalie. 

Competing with Veillette, Greig and Vekich will be 2025 draft picks Natálie Mlýnková, Skylar Irving, and Maya Labad. On the blue line, only sixth round draft pick Tamara Giaquinto will be a threat to Nadeau, who played four games last season. And in front of the net, it’s going to be between Megan Warrener and Tricia Deguire, who trained with the team last season when Ann-Renée Desbiens got injured. 

On top of those four standard contracts, three more players could be signed as a reserve player. 

With the training camp starting in three weeks, Mlýnková, Irving, Nadeau and Deguire are the favourites to sign with the team, as Veillette and Labad, since both are from the Montreal area, should sign, at the very least, as a reserve.