Montreal Victoire win Walter Cup, defeating Ottawa Charge to become first Canadian PWHL champions

She is ‘Captain Clutch,’ the one and only one. “She’s a person you want (to) battle for and that’s what this team is going to do. ” Poulin has long been considered the best women’s hockey player in the world, with a trophy case filled with individual and team achievements, most notably three Olympic gold medals won on her stick.

Since the PWHL launched in 2024, though, the Walter Cup has become one of the few trophies (along with an NCAA championship) to elude Montreal’s captain. Until now. On Wednesday night, Poulin’s Montreal Victoire defeated the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Finals to become the first Canadian team to win the PWHL’s coveted championship — and the first team that isn’t the Minnesota Frost.

There wasn’t a ton of room to work for either team in the first period on Wednesday, which meant low shot volume and very few quality scoring chances. It took Montreal nearly eight minutes to officially register a shot on Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips, and by the midway point of the first period, there were more blocked shots (5) than shots on goal (3). While Montreal didn’t generate a ton of offense, the team did well to put pressure on Ottawa in all three zones, slowing the Charge in transition and limiting zone time.

All five of Ottawa’s shots in the first came from defenders high in the offensive zone with no net front presence to truly test Desbiens. Less than four minutes into the second period, though, Abby Roque finally broke the stalemate with her third goal of the postseason, which would prove to be the championship-winner. After Poulin carried the puck into the zone, she dished to Roque, who threw a sharp angled shot on net.