The 2026 Winter Olympics are now over, but that doesn’t mark the end of women’s hockey for the 2025-26 season. The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is currently halfway through its third season as an established league. There is still plenty of time to start watching and supporting the latest women’s hockey league.
Unsure of which team to follow? That’s the whole purpose of this series: to help you get a better understanding of each team so you know who to support once games start up again this week. Next up: the Montreal Victoire.
Nine Victoire Players Participated in the Olympics
Canada
At this point, it’s hard to have a Canadian roster without Marie-Philip Poulin. This was her fifth time representing her nation at the Olympics, and she continues to make them proud. She played in five games, missing two due to injury, and recorded four points. She has been all around stellar for Canada, and that is especially the case for the Victoire as well.
So far this season, she has played 15 games and has recorded 14 points (seven goals and seven assists). Earlier this season, she made PWHL history by becoming the first player to record 50 points in the league. In total, she has 63 points in 66-career PWHL games. She has been Montreal’s captain for all three seasons, and her comforting every player on the Canadian team after they lost in the gold-medal game to the United States just shows the type of person she is, both on and off the ice.
If you can’t have Poulin, then you also can’t go without Laura Stacey. She played in all seven games in the Olympic tournament and recorded four points. This was her third Olympics and her second silver medal. With the Victoire, Stacey has played all 15 games and has recorded eight points. She is currently third overall on her team in points and continues to dominate the top six.
The 2026 Olympics marked Erin Ambrose’s second time representing her home country. She played all seven games and recorded two assists. So far this season, Ambrose has recorded four assists in 15 games. She hasn’t scored a goal since the inaugural PWHL season, but she has done what she excels at: continually making strong defensive plays.
Defender Kati Tabin earned the honor of representing her home country on the Olympic stage for the first time. She didn’t record any points, but she earned a plus-2 after participating in all seven games. She has played three PWHL seasons, all with Montreal. This season, she has recorded six points in 15 games. She has tied her points total in the inaugural season, and there are still 15 more games to break her current career high of eight.
Ann-Renee Desbiens was an incredible goaltender for Canada. She was in net for five of the seven games and earned a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.82 and a save percentage (SV%) of .914. She showed everyone why she is Victoire’s starting goaltender, as she currently has a 9-4-0-0 record with Montreal to go along with a GAA of 1.15 for the season and a SV% of .954. There is still half of the season left, so these numbers will fluctuate, but it’s tough to deny her strong performance thus far.
Czechia
Natálie Mlýnková might be one of the Victoire’s rookies this season, but this was not her first time representing her home country at the Olympics. She took to the international stage for the second time to represent Czechia, recording four points in five games. Czechia was eliminated early, so Mlýnková didn’t get to compete in one of the medal games, but she still had a stellar performance.
She has had a great start to her PWHL career as well, with four goals two assists for six points in 15 games. Three of her four goals were also game-winning goals. Mlýnková has been on a tear and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Germany
These Olympics marked Sandra Abstreiter’s first time representing her home country of Germany, and she played a substantial part in their performance. She was their netminder for all five games and earned a record of 3-2-0, SV% of .907, and a GAA of 2.59. Although Abstreiter was great, it didn’t diminish the fact that Germany just couldn’t score as much as Canada in the quarterfinals, which ultimately eliminated them. So far this season, Abstreiter has played two games and has earned a record of 1-1-0-0. The Victoire relies on Desbiens most of the time, but Abstreiter has proven she can also tend to the net when needed.
Sweden
Another sophomore in the Olympics, Lina Ljungblom, helped bring Sweden to the bronze-medal game. In seven games, she recorded three points. Although Switzerland won to take the bronze, Ljungblom and Sweden still had a strong performance in the tournament. She has only played six games with the Victoire this season and has yet to record her first point. Ljungblom’s performance at the international stage should propel her through a tough second half of the season.
United States
Hayley Scamurra was the only player from the Victoire who helped the United States win gold. She played in all seven games and scored three goals. The Victoire is her third team in three seasons in the PWHL, and ironically enough, she has only played for Canadian teams. This season, she has recorded six points in 15 games and is just four points out from tying her career high of 10.
The Rest of the Victoire Team
Victoire Have an Intense Veteran Presence
After trading their fourth round 2025 PWHL Draft pick to the New York Sirens, along with Kristin O’Neill, the Victoire also acquired Abby Roque. She has been a staple on Montreal’s top six, often playing left wing on the first line alongside Poulin. She currently has 12 points in 14 games, the second-highest total on Montreal. Roque was a pillar on the Sirens, and now she has transferred her skills to the Victoire.
Related: Guide to the 2025-26 New York Sirens
Another former Siren, Jade Downie-Landry, signed with the Victoire during free agency. After two seasons with New York, Downie-Landry wanted to be closer to home and signed with Montreal. She has played in eight games and has yet to score her first goal in the cream and maroon.
Shiann Darkangelo is another newcomer to the Victoire, signing with them during free agency, as Downie-Landry did. She was a major part of the Ottawa Charge’s success last season, recording 17 points in 30 games, the third-highest point total of anyone on the team. So far this season, she has recorded four points in 15 games. She’s still finding her footing with the Victoire.
After being traded to Montreal in the middle of the 2024-25 season, Kaitlin Willoughby is getting the chance to play her first full season with the Victoire. She is still searching for her first-career PWHL goal, but she has recorded two assists in the first half of the season.
Alexandra Labelle is in her third PWHL season, but her second with Montreal. She currently plays on the bottom six and, in 13 games, has recorded one assist. She is still searching for her first goal of the season, but with the second half of the season drawing nearer, there’s always a chance she can score in the next game.
Amanda Boullier was traded to Montreal in the middle of their inaugural season, but has been a staple of their blue line ever since. She has been playing with Jessica DiGirolamo this season on the third pairing. Both defenders are in their third season with the PWHL, even though Montreal wasn’t their first team. They bring an excellent veteran presence to the blue line that is well-appreciated.
Victoire Rookies Still Shining
In the first round of the 2025 PWHL Draft, the Victoire selected defender Nicole Gosling, a recent graduate from Clarkson University. In her first professional season, she has been playing on the first pairing alongside Erin Ambrose. A well-seasoned veteran like Ambrose has been a wealth of knowledge for Gosling as she gets her bearings in this new league. Gosling has also recorded five points this season, making her an excellent two-way defender.
In the third round, the Victoire selected forward Skylar Irving. She has played in 13 games so far and has recorded three assists. She has been a flex player, hopping around to different spots in the lineup. With Roque and Poulin on the first line, she recorded two of her three assists. Irving has shown skilled puck possession and talent on the ice; head coach Kori Cheverie just needs to find the perfect spot in the lineup for her.
The Victoire selected Maya Labad in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, but she made a splash in her first game by already scoring her first goal. She scored on Dec. 17 against the Toronto Sceptres, and although she has only played four games and hasn’t played since December, Labad came onto the ice determined to make an impact and did just that.
Victoire’s Current Standings
The Victoire are currently in third place with 27 points, just under the Minnesota Frost (28 points) and ahead of the Sirens (24 points). The Victoire have made it into the playoffs the last two seasons but have yet to make it to the Walter Cup Finals. Montreal is primed and ready to make another postseason appearance and challenge for their first Walter Cup.
Victoire Back on Thursday
The Victoire will play their first game back from the Olympic break against the Sirens on Thursday, Feb. 26.
