SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Walter Cup

Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to the Montréal Victoire.

For the first time in its short history, the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Walter Cup went to a Canadian team, and what better team than Montreal’s?

After finishing the regular season at the top of the overall rankings, the Victoire went into the playoffs with high hopes, knowing that they had a difficult road ahead of them.

After five gruelling games in the opening round, Montreal defeated the two-time defending champions, the Minnesota Frost, to earn a place in the Walter Cup Finals against the Ottawa Charge.

Seeking redemption after last year’s playoff disappointment against Ottawa, the Victoire demonstrated composure, discipline and determination throughout the series.

Three years into the history of this league, Canadians witnessed the very first all-Canadian Walter Cup Finals.

While my seatmate Senator Pate may be disappointed with the result, I am delighted to see a Montreal hockey team once again capture a championship title.

Led by captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who was deservedly named the playoff MVP, along with standout players Laura Stacey and Ann-Renée Desbiens, the Victoire proved that championships are won through collective effort, depth and resilience.

Congratulations to the coaching staff and front office for assembling a team that overcame a difficult start to the season. In January, they sat at the bottom of the standings. By February, they had found their rhythm and never looked back. They finished first overall, and today they are champions.

Beyond Montreal’s victory, this season marked another important milestone for women’s hockey. Thanks in part to Ottawa’s outstanding fan support, game three of the Walter Cup finals set a new playoff attendance record with nearly 17,000 spectators.

Even more impressive, more than 1.2 million fans attended Professional Women’s Hockey League, or PWHL, games this year, averaging over 9,200 spectators per game. These numbers confirm what many of us already know: Women’s hockey is dynamic, entertaining and rapidly growing across North America.

That growth continues with the league’s recent announcement of expansion franchises in Hamilton, Detroit, Las Vegas and San Jose next season, bringing the PWHL to 12 teams.

Honourable senators, I’m also excited to announce that the traditional victory parade will take place on Saturday in the streets of Montreal. Let’s hope that this is a forerunner of a second parade next month.

Colleagues, please join me in celebrating the Montréal Victoire’s PWHL championship — a proud moment for Montreal, for women’s hockey and for Canada.