Montréal Victoire win first Walter Cup, captain Marie-Philip Poulin named playoff MVP

The GIST: As you read and have surely seen all over your feed, Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin is a Walter Cup champion and playoff MVP, a moment that feels both long-overdue and serendipitous for one of the world’s greatest hockey players. In honor of MPP’s victory, let’s get re-acquainted with Captain Clutch’s trailblazing lore.

💪 Poulin was instrumental in founding the PWHL: Shortly after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded in 2019, Poulin and other prominent players began laying the groundwork for what would become the PWHL, dreaming of a sustainable, cross-border women’s pro league. This time would be different.

• Six months before the PWHL’s January 2024 debut, the league’s players association ratified their collective bargaining agreement (CBA), a savvy move spearheaded by MPP to ensure that players were treated as professionals before puck drop.

• With Wednesday’s win, one of the PWHL’s resilient and relentless pioneers lifted the trophy she helped to create. Still crying.

👀 Zooming out: That full circle victory put a bow on a breakout season for the league.Viewership spiked and more than 1M fans attended games — and it’s only up from here with four expansion teams joining for the 2026-27 campaign. Up next? A game-changing draft on June 17th. Calendar, cleared.