The atmosphere at a Montreal Victoire professional women's hockey game feels like entering an entirely different sporting universe compared to traditional NHL experiences. During the team's home opener against the New York Sirens on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, Place Bell in Laval buzzed with an energy that's transforming how fans engage with hockey.
A Different Kind of Hockey Crowd
The first thing that strikes visitors to a Victoire game is the demographic shift in the stands. Women significantly outnumber men in the audience, with a strong visible presence from the LGBTQ+ community, including many female couples. While male fans certainly attend and support the team, the gender balance presents a stark contrast to the typical crowd composition at Montreal Canadiens games held at the Bell Centre.
Beyond the demographic differences, there's a palpable sense of community that distinguishes the Victoire experience from National Hockey League games. The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), now in its third season, represents the most stable and well-funded women's professional hockey league in history, backed by American billionaire Mark Walter. For the first time, female hockey players are earning proper living wages, marking a revolutionary step forward for women's sports.
Intimate Atmosphere and Fan Passion
The game experience maintains an accessible, community-oriented feel, partly due to the smaller venue size. Place Bell accommodates up to 10,000 spectators, and 8,392 fans attended Monday's dominant 4-0 victory over the New York Sirens. The atmosphere generated an electric buzz from the opening moments, with fans cheering enthusiastically for even minor offensive rushes by the Victoire players.
Player introductions sparked thunderous applause that reached stratospheric levels when captain Marie-Philip Poulin skated to center ice. The arena erupted in the third period when forward Abby Roque, acquired during the off-season from the New York Sirens, scored a spectacular breakaway goal against her former team with an eye-catching between-the-legs shot.
Fans proudly display their allegiance through PWHL and Victoire merchandise, with approximately nine out of ten jerseys featuring Poulin's number 29 and surname.
Dedicated Fans and Community Impact
Wendy and Heidi Johnston, a married couple from the Kennebunk area of Maine, exemplify the team's dedicated following. Both wearing Poulin jerseys, they hold season tickets and attend all home games, maintaining a pied-à-terre in Brossard for this purpose. They expressed concerns about the political climate in the United States and plans to eventually relocate to Canada permanently.
Heidi Johnston began following Poulin's career over a decade ago after seeing the Quebec City native in a Gatorade commercial. "It led to the PWHL and La Victoire," Heidi explained. "They just needed the funding to get it to this level."
The couple previously followed men's hockey as women's hockey lacked professional visibility, having been Boston Bruins fans. They appreciate how women's hockey has now entered the mainstream sporting consciousness.
"A lot of us really didn't have the opportunity to play," said Wendy. "If you could play, it was on a boys' team. Now there's a different dream for girls from a young age."
Daniel Rollin discovered the Victoire through his wife but has become an enthusiastic convert. "I think I have a better show for my buck," Rollin stated. "It's a lot less expensive and I have a great show. Everybody's nice. The atmosphere is nice." He and his wife pay $1,200 for 15 games with premium fourth-row seats.
Zoe Hurtado attended the home opener with her six-year-old son Luca Mercier, emphasizing the importance of female sports representation. "I love that we can promote female sports and that there's now a female league for women to excel in," Hurtado said. "And I love for my son to have female role models in the world of sports." Mercier confirmed he prefers the Victoire over the Canadiens.
Hélène Vidal and her 12-year-old daughter Clemence arrived from France four years ago, with Clemence immediately developing a passion for hockey and becoming a goalie for a local team. Naturally, her favorite player is Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens.
"The ambience here is extraordinary," said Hélène. "The women on the team really sparkle. They have real pep."
Isabelle Éthier, who covers women's hockey for her podcast Isa, Femme de sports, attributes the Victoire's success partly to the proximity between players and fans. "There's a real sense of community," Éthier observed from the press gallery. "And people really want to show off their team colours. People really feel part of the team."
Virginia Champoux has missed only one game throughout the Victoire's three-season history. "I'm 56 years old and I was never into hockey until there was women's hockey because I never connected to it," Champoux revealed. "To sit in this room, with all these women, all these athletes, it's life-changing. This is so safe. There's an energy here I can't explain."
