Victoire de Montréal Parade Draws 20,000 Fans to Celebrate Walter Cup Win
Victoire de Montréal paraded the Walter Cup down Sainte‑Catherine, drawing an estimated 20,000 people as the LPHF prepares to expand and teams set roster protections this summer.
The streets of downtown Montreal filled Saturday as supporters of Victoire de Montréal marked the team’s Walter Cup victory with a city parade and rally. The parade began at 11 a.m. on Sainte‑Catherine Street West, where players rode a double‑deck bus between Bleury and Clark amid sustained cheering. The event underscored both the team’s on‑ice achievement and the growing public appetite for professional women’s hockey.
Parade and Public Turnout
The procession moved through Montreal’s entertainment district with sustained applause and chants from sidewalks packed with families, longtime season‑ticket holders and new fans. City officials estimated about 20,000 people turned out to watch the champions pass by, a sign of rising visibility for the Ligue professionnelle de hockey féminin. Supporters waved banners, chanted "olé! olé! olé!" and frequently shouted the team’s rallying cry, "Let’s go Victoire!"
Stage Celebration at Quartier des Spectacles
After the march the players addressed the crowd from a stage set up on the Quartier des Spectacles greenbelt, where they thanked fans and accepted the city’s congratulations. The celebration included a public meet‑and‑greet: athletes took selfies, signed jerseys and posed with children and longtime followers. One fan, Monique, said she was thrilled to have her jersey signed by forward Catherine Dubois and described the moment as a personal highlight.
Fans’ Stories and Community Impact
Voices in the crowd reflected the diverse base the team has built, from parents bringing children to lifelong supporters with season tickets. Kristin and her partner Anna came with a homemade sign and said they felt represented by players who are visible members of the LGBTQ+ community. For many attendees, seeing players who combine elite sport with public candor offers new role models for young fans.
Expansion Looms for the LPHF
The celebration took place against the backdrop of an expansion process that will add four teams next season — Las Vegas, Hamilton, Detroit and San José — bringing the league to 12 franchises. Quebec City submitted a bid this year but was not selected, a development that some local supporters described as a temporary setback. League rules governing the expansion mean Victoire de Montréal will be allowed to protect only three players in the upcoming redistribution, exposing the roster to potential movement.
Roster Protections and Team Decisions
Victoire’s general manager, Danièle Sauvageau, signaled earlier in the week that captain Marie‑Philip Poulin, winger Laura Stacey and goaltender Ann‑Renée Desbiens are expected to be the protected trio. That decision, once formalized, will shape where remaining players land in the new alignment and will likely alter team dynamics. Fans and analysts on hand acknowledged the bittersweet reality: the parade may have been the last time this specific roster celebrated together.
Players as Role Models on and off the Ice
Onstage, captain Marie‑Philip Poulin paid tribute to the generation of women whose work paved the way for a professional league and public celebration of the sport. Several players were singled out by fans as community figures — both for their play and for their visibility, including the central pairing of Poulin and Laura Stacey, who are married. Supporters said the players’ conduct in interviews and public appearances — stressing effort, resilience and teamwork — resonated strongly with families and young athletes.
Rivalry Hopes and Local Ambitions
Fans in Montreal repeatedly raised the prospect of a future Quebec City franchise renewing an old regional rivalry and deepening the league’s Quebec roots. While the expansion this season will place new teams in several U.S. markets and Hamilton in Ontario, local advocates framed Quebec City’s application as part of a longer campaign to grow the game in the province. For many spectators, reviving traditional rivalries remains an aspiration that could help sustain attendance and media attention.
The parade and rally in downtown Montreal offered a public reckoning with both triumph and transition: a championship celebrated in the present and a league preparing to reshape its rosters and geography in the months ahead. As fans dispersed, many expressed confidence that the momentum behind Victoire de Montréal and the LPHF will continue to draw families, young players and broader audiences to women’s hockey.
