Report: PWHL to host game in Quebec City on Jan. 19
The first “neutral site” game of the 2024-25 PWHL season looks to be written in stone.
On Monday, Pascale Lévesque of Le Solei in Quebec reported that the league will hold a game in Quebec City on Jan. 19. The Journal de Montreal later confirmed the game will feature the Montreal Victoire taking on the Ottawa Charge at the Videotron Centre in the provincial capital.
The league will make an official announcement on Wednesday morning. A media conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET at the Videotron Centre.
When the schedule for the PWHL’s second season was released, Montreal had two home games listed with venues TBD. With Jan. 19’s date locked up, the only other game with the site yet to be announced is Saturday, March 1, when the Victoire is scheduled to host the Boston Fleet. It wouldn’t be surprising if that game was also held at a bigger venue. Last season, Montreal faced Toronto at the home of the Montreal Canadiens, Centre Bell, setting a new attendance record for a women’s hockey game.
This season, the Victoire will play the majority of its home games at Place Bell in Laval.
With Wednesday’s confirmation, Montreal will have six more games with sites yet to be announced. Their clash with the Charge on Dec. 6, in Ottawa, is listed as TBD as well.
The Charge has four more games without official venues, including their Feb. 16 matchup with the Toronto Sceptres. There are whispers that the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators, might be the site for that edition of the Battle of Ontario.
The league is expected to announce more neutral site games before the new campaign’s opening day on Nov. 30.
In the PWHL’s inaugural season, Montreal and Ottawa created quite the rivalry thanks to a series of close games. Montreal would claim the season series, going 4-1 against their border foes.