For the second year in a row, the Montréal Victoire have finished first in the PWHL.
The Victoire clinched first place with a 2-1 shootout win over the Seattle Torrent on Saturday night. Per PWHL rules, Montréal now get to select their first-round playoff opponent between the Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge, who finished third and fourth, respectively. The remaining team will face the second-place Boston Fleet in the first round of the Walter Cup playoffs.
Last season, the Victoire finished first in the PWHL with a 12-7-3-8 record and 53 points. They selected the fourth-place Ottawa Charge as their first-round opponent, but ultimately fell 3-1 in the semifinal series. This year, they set a new PWHL record with a 16-6-2-6 record for 62 points.
Now, the Victoire have 24 hours to select their playoff opponent, with a decision expected by Sunday night. The Minnesota Frost (13-3-5-9) finished third in the PWHL with 60 points, while the Ottawa Charge (9-8-1-12) clinched the final playoff spot with a win over the Toronto Sceptres on Sunday for 44 points. In four games against Minnesota this season, Montréal went undefeated, with two shutout wins in regulation and two overtime wins. Against the Charge, Montréal earned three regulation wins and an overtime loss.
Montréal kicks off their Walter Cup campaign next Saturday at Place Bell, with the time of the game still to be confirmed. The Fleet host game one of their series at Tsongas Center on Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET. The full round one schedule will be announced once final matchups are confirmed.