Sunday, January 19, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Videotron Centre (Québec City)
WATCH LIVE: TSN 3, TSN.ca, TSN App, RDS, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S. / International)
EN: Matt Cullen (Play-by-Play), Becky Kellar (Analyst), Rob Pizzo (Reporter);
FR: Claudine Douville (Play-by-Play), Stéphanie Poirier (Analyst), Catherine Savoie (Reporter), Andrée-Anne Barbeau (Studio Host), Karell Émard (Studio Analyst).
OTTAWA CHARGE
4-0-2-4 | 14 PTS | 4TH PLACE
Top Scorer: Tereza Vanišová – 10 GP, 3-3-6 PTS
Last Game: 4-2 L vs. TOR on Jan. 14
MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE
5-2-1-2 | 20 PTS | 1ST PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorers: Abby Boreen & Marie-Philip Poulin (5-2-7)
Last Game: 4-2 W vs. MIN on Jan. 17
2024-25 SEASON SERIES: MONTRÉAL LEADS 5-1 IN POINTS (MTL WON 10-5 IN 2024)
Nov. 30 at MTL: 4-3 MTL (SO) | Dec. 6 at OTT: 2-1 MTL | Jan. 19 at MTL (QUEBEC) | Jan. 29 at MTL | Feb. 22 at OTT | Apr. 26 at OTT
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Québec City is the fourth of nine stops on the PWHL Takeover Tour and Videotron Centre is the 20th venue to host a PWHL game all-time. Tour attendance has totalled 45,664 through three games.
Videotron Centre hosted a pre-Olympic exhibition between Canada and the United States back on Oct. 22, 2017. USA won 5-2 and six players from today’s game were in the lineup for Canada, including Ottawa’s Brianne Jenner (1A), Emily Clark and Jocelyne Larocque, and Montréal’s Erin Ambrose, Marie-Philip Poulin and Ann-Renée Desbiens (19/25).
Ottawa lost to Toronto, 4-2, at home on Tuesday, their second straight home loss. However, the Charge have won each of their last three road games (all in regulation) after starting the season 0-0-1-2 on the road. Ottawa had four total road wins last season and none of them were consecutive.
Mannon McMahon scored both of Ottawa’s goals on Tuesday after totaling one goal in her first nine games this season. It was the first multi-goal game by a Charge player this season and the sixth all-time. It was the rookie’s first multi-goal game since she scored both goals for Minnesota Duluth in a 2-0 win over St. Cloud State on March 2, 2024.
Ottawa has scored first in seven games this season, most in the PWHL, and is 3-0-2-2 when doing so. Montréal has scored first six times (including each of its last five games), tied for second most, and is 4-0-1-1 after taking a 1-0 lead.
Charge forward Victoria Bach (1G, 2A) and Poulin (3G, 1A) are riding the league’s longest active point streaks at three games.
Canadian National Team goaltenders Emerance Maschmeyer and Desbiens rank third and fourth with 2.10 and 2.13 goals-against averages and second and third among PWHL netminders with .933 and .923 save percentages.
Ottawa players and staff visited Fromagerie Victoria for a poutine tasting experience on Friday night, sampling Québec’s famous squeaky cheese curds and all the sauces before making their orders. On Saturday, the team enjoyed a city tour offered by Tourisme Québec Cité and Cicérone Tours where they explored the Petit Champlain quarter, saw features of Fairmount Château Frontenac and sled down the historic Dufferin Terrace 1884 site on toboggans beside the St. Lawrence River.
The Victoire beat Minnesota, 4-2, at home on Friday, improving to 2-1-0-1 in La Belle Province this season. Montréal scored twice in the second period – the Victoire’s 15 goals in the middle frame are three more than any other team. They have a combined 12 goals in the first and third periods.
Montréal has won both meetings between these teams this season, picking up a 4-3 shootout win on Nov. 30 and a 2-1 win on Dec. 6. All nine goals across the two games were scored by different players, and the 20 total points were recorded by 18 different players (Abby Boreen and Mikyla Grant-Mentis – 1G, 1A each).
Ambrose picked up three assists on Friday, the second three-assist game in the PWHL this season (Claire Thompson, Dec. 19 vs Ottawa). That doubled the season assist total for the defender, who had just three in her first nine games. Ambrose’s 20 total assists since last season are tied for the most by any player (Alex Carpenter).
For six Victoire players, it won't be the first time playing in front of big crowds in Québec City as alumnae of the famous Tournoi International de Hockey Pee-Wee as youths. Cayla Barnes (Los Angeles Selects, 2012), Catherine Dubois (Seigneurs de Charlesbourg, 2008), Catherine Daoust (Dauphins Deux-Rives, 2008), Alexandra Labelle (Étoiles de Beauval, 2007), Desbiens (Rorquals de Charlevoix, 2006) and Poulin (Élites Beauce-Amiante, 2004) all played in the most prestigious minor hockey tournament in the world. Ottawa assistant coach Dean Jackson won the 1994 tournament as a member of the Toronto Red Wings, scoring a goal in a 5-3 win over the LA Kings.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Victoire assistant coach Alexandre Imbeault who was drafted 13th overall by the Québec Remparts in the 2003 QMJHL Draft. He played the 2003-04 season with the team, scoring six goals and adding 14 assists in 62 games.
Desbiens (Clermont), Dubois (Québec) and Poulin (Beauceville) have not only been wheeling and dealing on the ice but also in the ticket office, as the greater Québec City natives are each expecting over 100 family members and friends for this game so close to home.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Jocelyne Larocque on the chemistry with other Charge defenders: “I’ve been paired with Jincy Roese, Sam Isbell, Aneta Tejralová and Zoe Boyd so far. What is great with this Ottawa crew is I think we have the strongest defensive core in the league. So, I am more than ok to play with anyone. I find it has helped my game.”
Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin on playing close to home: “It's going to be very special to see my close ones come to Québec City, especially my grandmother. It's been a while since she's seen me play in person, so it's going to be a lot of fun.”
SUNDAY’S GAME: Montréal and Ottawa will be wearing specialty jerseys in partnership with Molson. The jerseys feature the player’s name bar at the bottom, with the Molson logo placed where the regular name bar would be, often covered by some players’ long hair. The jerseys debuted last season on International Women’s Day to launch Molson’s ‘See My Name’ campaign and were worn by Montréal and Toronto during the PWHL Takeover Tour game in Vancouver. Canadian Tire is presenting a Jocks in Jills pre-game meet and greet for fans with hosts Tessa Bonhomme and Julia Tocheri in the concourse when the doors open. The PWHL has partnered with Motivaction Jeunesse for today's game to promote gender equity and empower the next generation of female leaders by offering access to live women's sports experiences. O Canada will be performed by Rosa Laricchiuta. Guest DJ is DJ Montana. Intermission Mini Matches will be played by the Citadelles de Québec M9 and Huskies de Chaudière-Ouest. The PWHL will recognize the development of on-ice officials in Québec by welcoming six local officials to join the pre-game ceremonies including Alexandra Giguère, Catherine Fournier, Laurie Vézina, Sophianne Gasse, Chloé Lévesque, Meanne Thibault. One of today’s referees, Elizabeth Mantha, hails from Longueuil, QC.