The Walter Cup will be awarded to a Canadian team for the first time in PWHL history, as the Montreal Victoire advanced to face the Ottawa Charge in the final. The Victoire defeated the Minnesota Frost 2-1 in a do-or-die Game 5 on Tuesday night, eliminating the two-time Walter Cup champion Frost from the playoffs for the first time in league history.
Victoire's Path to the Final
Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored the game-winning goal to bring her team to its first Walter Cup final. In the past two seasons, Montreal found itself unable to progress past the semifinal round, falling to Boston in 2024 and Ottawa in 2025. The Victoire has won three of four games in the regular-season matchup against the Charge, with Ottawa's sole win coming in overtime on March 22. Montreal outscored its closest rival 9-4 in the regular-season series.
Charge's Preparation
After clinching its spot in the Walter Cup final with a Game 4 win over the Boston Fleet on Sunday, the Charge departed for Montreal by bus on Tuesday afternoon to await the result of Game 5 on the other side of the semifinal bracket. Ottawa will now be able to stay put in Montreal, where the first two games of the Walter Cup final will take place with dates and times still to be determined, before returning to Ottawa for Game 3 on May 18, and Game 4, if necessary, on May 20, both at the Canadian Tire Centre. If a Game 5 is needed, it will take place back in Montreal.
Schedule and Venues
The Montreal-Minnesota Game 5 was originally supposed to take place Monday but was postponed by 24 hours after the league cited player safety concerns due to illness. The Montreal Victoire has a 2-0 record at the Canadian Tire Centre, after the Charge hosted its closest league rivals for two regular-season games over the last two seasons. Most recently, Ottawa fell 3-0 to Montreal on April 3, 2026.
