Saturday, December 27, 2025 | 2 p.m. ET | Bell Centre
WATCH LIVE: CBC, CBC Gem, cbc.ca, ICI TÉLÉ & ICI TOU.TV, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S. / International), More
EN: Daniella Ponticelli (Play-by-Play), Becky Kellar (Analyst), Rob Pizzo (Reporter); Anastasia Bucsis (CBC Studio Host), Megan Bozek (CBC Studio Analyst), Hailey Salvian (CBC Studio Analyst);
FR: Michael Roy (Play-by-Play), Isabelle Leclaire (Analyst), Christine Roger (Reporter); Roseline Filion (Studio Host), Karell Émard (Studio Analyst), Stéphanie Poirier (Studio Analyst)
TORONTO SCEPTRES
3-0-2-2 | 11 PTS | 2ND PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorer: Daryl Watts & Jesse Compher, 2-2-4 PTS
Last Game: 4-3 OTL vs. OTT on Dec. 23
MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE
3-1-0-2 | 11 PTS | 2ND PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorer: Marie-Philip Poulin & Abby Roque, 2-3-5 PTS
Last Game: 2-1 L at SEA on Dec. 23
2025-26 SEASON SERIES: MONTRÉAL LEADS 5-1 IN POINTS (TORONTO LEADS 22-17 IN POINTS ALL-TIME)
Dec. 7 at MTL: 3-1 MTL | Dec. 17 at TOR (HALIFAX): 2-1 MTL (SO) | Dec. 27 at MTL | Jan. 28 at MTL | Mar. 3 at TOR
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Montréal and Toronto are the first teams to meet three times this season with their third game coming in a 21-day span in December. The Victoire scored a 2-1 shootout victory in its last meeting with the Sceptres in Halifax and have won three of the five games in this matchup that have gone into overtime, while the Sceptres have won five of the eight decided in regulation.
Toronto won the first edition of the Duel at the Top played at the Bell Centre, 3-2 in overtime, back on Apr. 20, 2024, with a record attendance of 21,105. The Sceptres have nine players on this year’s roster who competed in that game with scoring from Blayre Turnbull (1G), Emma Maltais (2A), Renata Fast (1A), Allie Munroe (1A) and Natalie Spooner (1A), plus Claire Dalton who recorded an assist for Montréal.
Elaine Chuli served as a backup goaltender for both of Montréal’s first two games at the Bell Centre. She’s won both of her starts this season with Toronto, carrying a goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .930.
The Sceptres are the only PWHL team with multiple losses in overtime/shootouts this season, most recently with its OT loss to Ottawa on Tuesday. It was the team’s first time allowing multiple power play goals in a regular-season game since doing so in Edmonton against Ottawa on Feb. 16.
Seven different players tallied a point for the Sceptres on Tuesday, making it the third time the team has had such widespread offense following its Dec. 4 win against Ottawa and Dec. 21 win over New York. For the season, 17 different Toronto players have notched at least one point, tied with Boston for the most in the PWHL.
Maggie Connors, Daryl Watts and Maltais all carry point streaks into Montréal having scored a goal and an assist in their last two games each.
Maltais will have 40 family members arriving in style at the Bell Centre via a rented bus. Her father Mario is from Alma, QC in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean area of the province.
Montréal held a 1-0 lead entering the second period in its 2-1 loss at Seattle on Tuesday. The Victoire have scored in the first period in four straight games, the longest active streak by any PWHL team. All four of their first period goals have been scored by a different player.
Abby Roque, who scored in the first period on Tuesday in Seattle, is tied for Montréal’s lead in goals, assists and plus/minus this season. Currently riding a two-game point streak, she’s the only PWHL skater to lead her team in all three of those categories in 2025-26 (including ties).
Marie-Philip Poulin assisted on Roque’s goal and has a two-game point streak of her own heading into the Bell Centre (1G, 1A). The Victoire captain has won 66.0 percent of her faceoffs this season (70/106), the highest faceoff win percentage by any PWHL skater with at least 10 faceoffs this season. Her 733 career faceoff wins are over 100 more than any other player in league history.
Laura Stacey leads all Victoire players with a goal and two assists in two games at the Bell Centre, including one of her season-high three overtime goals for Montréal in a 3-2 victory over Boston in last season’s Duel at the Top on Mar. 1.
Kati Tabin scored two goals in last season’s game at the Bell Centre, Poulin has recorded an assist in back-to-back seasons, Erin Ambrose scored in 2024, and Maureen Murphy had an assist in 2024. Amanda Boulier and Catherine Dubois played in both games, while Jessica DiGirolamo played last season for Boston and Kaitlin Willoughby in 2024 for Toronto.
Ann-Renée Desbiens, who ranks fourth this season with a .958 save percentage, has played both Victoire games at the Bell Centre with a .900 SV% in those combined starts.
Montréal has a perfect 2-0 record on home ice this season and joins Boston (3-0) as the only undefeated teams at home. Last season, the Victoire and Sceptres tied for the best winning percentage in home games at .622.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“My focus for this upcoming game is continuing to do things that make both me and our group successful and executing them as well and as consistently as I can. We know it’s going to be a high pace, physical game in front of a huge crowd and it doesn’t get much more fun than that. There’s a lot of good going on within our group right now so I’m excited for another opportunity for us to execute.” – Sceptres rookie forward Clara Van Wieren
“It’s a game we’re all excited to play. It’s a date we circled on our calendars for good reason, and we can’t wait to play again in front of our fans here at the Bell Centre. I hope people come to the game and dress in cream. We’ll be wearing our cream uniforms for the occasion. It’s a special game — it never happens at home. I can’t wait to play in front of our fans, family, and friends.” - Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens
SATURDAY’S GAME: It’s Montréal’s third annual Duel at the Top presented by Scotiabank with the Victoire and Sceptres continuing their rivalry at the Bell Centre, home of the NHL’s Montréal Canadiens. For the first time, the Victoire will play a home game with their cream uniforms traditionally worn on the road and invite fans to wear cream or white clothing to create a uniquely unified atmosphere. Canadiens forward Patrik Laine and his wife Jordan will be in attendance to perform the ceremonial puck drop and the Canadian national anthem will be performed on the saxophone by Vinny Falcone. The Victoire are also proud to welcome members of Team Québec who won gold at the 2025 U18 Women’s National Championship with a 3-1 victory over Team Atlantic at last month’s event in Newfoundland & Labrador. Fans in attendance can check out partner activations on the concourse including Canadian Tire’s ‘My Team My Sign’ station, the Intact Insurance photobooth, and a spin-to-win with Poulet Rouge.