Two Games, One City, Pure Chaos
Montreal is no stranger to hockey obsession, but even by that city's lofty standards, a day with both the Montreal Canadiens and PWHL Montreal Victoire hosting playoff games is something genuinely special. That's exactly what happened recently, and CBC reporter Melinda Dalton was there to soak it all in — hopping between both arenas to capture what playoff hockey heaven looks like in Canada's most passionate hockey city.
The result? A portrait of a city that doesn't just love one hockey team. It loves the game itself.
The Habs Do What the Habs Do
The Montreal Canadiens remain one of the most storied franchises in professional sports. Even during rebuilding years, a Habs playoff run transforms the city. The streets around the Bell Centre fill with red, white, and blue. Bars overflow. The collective nervous energy of a fanbase that expects to win — because it always has, historically — is something you can physically feel.
Playoff hockey in Montreal carries decades of weight. Twenty-four Stanley Cup championships worth. When the Canadiens are in it, the entire city is in it.
The Victoire Are Writing Their Own History
But 2025 belongs just as much to the PWHL's Victoire. Montreal's Professional Women's Hockey League franchise has quickly built a devoted following, and their playoff run has drawn serious attention from fans who might not have followed women's hockey closely before.
The Victoire play with the kind of skill, speed, and intensity that converts casual observers into dedicated fans — fast. Seeing them in a playoff atmosphere, with a crowd fully invested, is a reminder of how much the PWHL has elevated the profile of women's hockey in Canada since launching.
For many fans at the Victoire game, this wasn't a consolation prize or a secondary event. It was the main event.
What It Means for Hockey in Canada
This dual-game day isn't just a fun story — it's a signal. Canadian cities are increasingly embracing women's hockey at a level that would have been hard to imagine even five years ago. The PWHL's first full seasons have shattered attendance records and generated genuine buzz from coast to coast.
Montreal hosting two simultaneous playoff runs is proof that hockey fandom in Canada has more room in it than people realized. Fans didn't have to choose one team over the other — many simply went to both games. The city held both.
For Ottawa hockey fans watching from across the 417, there's a familiar feeling here. PWHL Ottawa has its own passionate following, and the dream of seeing something like this — both the Senators and Ottawa's PWHL team deep in the playoffs at the same time — feels a little more plausible after seeing what Montreal just pulled off.
The Bigger Picture
Canada loves hockey. That's not news. But Canada loving all of its hockey — the NHL, the PWHL, junior, rec leagues — feels like a new chapter. What happened in Montreal is a glimpse at what Canadian sports culture can look like when the full picture is embraced.
And honestly? It looks pretty great.
Source: CBC Canada — reporting by Melinda Dalton
