Sunday, January 4, 2026 | 2 p.m. ET | Place Bell
WATCH LIVE: Sportsnet East/Ontario/Pacific, FanDuel Sports Network North, FOX 9+, ICI TÉLÉ & ICI TOU.TV, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com(U.S. / International), More
EN: Daniella Ponticelli (Play-by-Play), Ann-Sophie Bettez (Analyst), Julia Tocheri (Reporter);
FR: Michael Roy (Play-by-Play), Isabelle Leclaire (Analyst), Christine Roger (Reporter), Roseline Filion (Studio Host), Stéphanie Poirier (Studio Analyst)
MINNESOTA FROST
4-1-1-3 | 15 PTS | 2ND PLACE (TIED)
Top Scorer: Britta Curl-Salemme – 9 GP, 4-7-11 PTS
Last Game: 5-2 L at OTT on Jan. 3
MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE
3-1-0-4 | 11 PTS | 8TH PLACE
Top Scorer: Marie-Philip Poulin & Abby Roque, 3-5-8 PTS
Last Game: 4-3 L at NY on Jan. 2
2024-25 SEASON SERIES: MONTRÉAL WON 11-7 IN POINTS (MTL WON 10-5 IN 2024)
Dec. 28 at MIN: 3-2 MTL | Jan. 12 at MIN (DENVER): 4-2 MIN | Jan. 17 at MTL: 4-2 MTL | Feb. 18 at MTL: 4-0 MIN | Mar. 4 at MTL: 2-1 MTL (SO) | Mar. 26 at MIN: 4-1 MTL
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Montréal has six regulation wins in its 11 all-time games against Minnesota (one SO win, one SO loss & three regulation losses) including a 4-1 win in the last meeting. That’s the most regulation victories by any PWHL team against the Frost. This is the first time the season series opens in Montréal with split decisions in each of the first two opening games in Minnesota.
Saturday’s 5-2 loss was just the fourth regular-season game in which the Frost have allowed at least five goals – and two of them have been at TD Place in Ottawa (lost 8-3 on Feb. 13, 2025). Minnesota had allowed a combined six goals across its first four non-Takeover Tour road games this season.
Both Mae Batherson and Kendall Cooper assisted on Minnesota’s first goal on Saturday, each skater’s fifth straight game with an assist. That ties them for the longest assist streak in the regular season in PWHL history (done six other times). Cooper’s six assists are tied for the lead among rookies.
Britta Curl-Salemme extended her point streak to five games and her goal streak to two games after scoring on Saturday. The league’s points leader scored in her first two games against Montréal last season and finished with four points against the Victoire (2G, 2A) in six games.
Kelly Pannek leads the PWHL with four multi-point games this season after scoring a goal and an assist on Saturday. The first time she produced two points in her career was against Montréal (2A) in her second game back on Jan. 6, 2024.
This is the third time the Frost are playing games on consecutive days, with both other instances occurring in the league’s inaugural season and both with split results. Minnesota had an OT loss against Boston and an OT win over New York on Jan. 27-28, 2024, and a 2-1 win in Ottawa and a 2-1 loss against Montréal on Feb. 17-18, 2024.
Minnesota wraps up its longest road trip of the season and busiest stretch in the schedule with four games in nine days. They enter Sunday’s action with two wins on the trip, having earned five of a possible nine points.
Montréal fired off 45 shots on goal in its 4-3 loss at New York on Friday. It was the most shots on goal the Victoire have attempted in a non-overtime game in team history (including playoffs), and the most by any PWHL team this season.
The Victoire have lost three straight games in regulation, all by one-goal decisions. The longest losing streak in team history is four games back in March 2024. Their only two-game losing streak at home in Montréal was last season with a pair of one-goal defeats at Place Bell on Mar. 23 and Apr. 1, 2025.
Laura Stacey attempted a game-high eight shots on goal Friday, the most by a Montréal player this season. It was Stacey’s third regular-season game with eight or more SOG while all other players in Montréal history have one such game combined (Marie-Philip Poulin). Stacey currently ranks third with 36 shots and led the league last season with 112.
Poulin is riding the longest point streak of her PWHL career at four games (2G, 3A). Before Friday, the Victoire captain had amassed five different three-game streaks in two seasons. Abby Roque also has a four-game point streak of her own with five points (2G, 3A) since Dec. 20. Both goals have been assisted by Poulin, and two of her three assists have set up goals scored by the captain.
Nicole Gosling, Montréal’s first-round pick in June, registered her first PWHL point with an assist on Friday. All four Victoire draft picks who have appeared in games this season have at least one point. Only defender Tamara Giaquinto, chosen in the sixth-round, has yet to play a game for the team.
Jade Downie-Landry, who hails from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu on the South Shore of Montréal, will get to play on home ice in front of her friends and family for the first time on Sunday. She made her long-awaited season debut on Friday against her former Sirens teammates following activation from LTIR.
Hayley Scamurra was named to Team USA on Friday and will compete in her second Olympics. There are also six members of the Frost on the American squad, most in the PWHL.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Excited to finish off our road trip on a good note. We have played some really good games and have also learned from some times where we can be better. This is a huge opportunity to get three big points.” – Frost forward Taylor Heise
“We are looking forward to returning to Place Bell in front of our fans for the first time in the New Year. The team has been creating many opportunities and will continue to do so and hopefully take full advantage of them as we move forward.” - Victoire Head Coach Kori Cheverie
SUNDAY’S GAME: The Victoire return to Place Bell for the first time since Dec. 7 and take on the Frost for the first of four meetings this season. Today’s game is a Black History Celebration, part of the PWHL’s Unity Game series, honouring the legacy, impact, and ongoing contributions of Black leaders, athletes, artists, and community-builders within hockey and across Montréal. Through music, dance, community storytelling, and in-arena recognition, the game creates space for celebration, education, and meaningful connection with local Black communities. Fans in attendance will enjoy an immersive experience throughout the day as Black culture and creativity take center stage, including a performance of the national anthem by Montréal singer Jennifer Lee-Dupuy and music curated by DJ Nelles during intermissions. Jennifer Mathurin of the Mathurin Family Foundation will perform the ceremonial puck drop. Her leadership and community advocacy reflect the Foundation’s commitment to empowering Black youth and families through education, sport, and mentorship. Moments of recognition and community storytelling will also spotlight local Black organizations making a lasting impact in Montréal. Among the community partners honoured during the game are the Mathurin Family Foundation and the Montréal Steppers, whose work supports youth empowerment, inclusion, and cultural expression. The Montréal Steppers will also host an activation on the concourse, inviting fans to connect and experience cultural expression beyond the ice. Jayne-Laure Dumerjean will be recognized as the Warrior of the Game for her leadership and impact within Montreal’s youth sports community. She is the founder of Empowering Her Sports, an initiative dedicated to supporting young athletes on and off the court through mentorship and education. Click here to learn more about this season’s Black History Celebrations around the PWHL.