PWHL notebook: Winter Olympics break ends, Victoire's hot streak

With the Professional Women’s Hockey League set to drop the puck on their third season, NHL.com staff writer Anna Kulesa will be filing a biweekly notebook on all the happenings in the league. Today, a look at the PWHL’s return to action and Montreal Victoire’s hot streak.

Return to action

The PWHL returned to action on Feb. 26 after pausing for four weeks due to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The United States women’s hockey team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime for their third gold medal. There will be no more pauses for the rest of the season. The PWHL will complete its season on Saturday, April 25 with all eight teams in action.

Olympians to long-term IR

Seattle Torrent captain Hilary Knight, Minnesota Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and Montreal Victoire defenseman Erin Ambrose were all placed on the long-term injured reserve list from injuries suffered during the Olympics. On Monday, Knight revealed she played with a torn MCL during the tournament in an interview with CBS. The Team USA captain helped the U.S. win a gold medal over Team Canada by tying the game with a little over two minutes left. Knight will be out indefinitely. United States teammate Coyne Schofield sustained an upper-body injury during the Winter Games and Canada’s Ambrose suffered a lower-body injury during the gold medal game.

Victoire’s six-game win streak 

The Montreal Victoire are racking up the victories. On Tuesday, the Victoire extended their win streak to six games after they defeated the Toronto Sceptres 4-3 in a six-round shootout on Tuesday. Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin buried the winning goal in the shootout. Three of the six wins came before the Olympic break. The Victoire now sit in first place with 35 points (9-4-0-5) after being in last place (eighth) on Jan. 4. Victoire goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens was named the PWHL player of the week for posting her fourth shutout of the season against the Frost on Sunday. Montreal will go on a 12-day break and next play against the second place Boston Fleet on Saturday, March 15 at Place Bell.

Seattle sets U.S. attendance record (again)

PWHL fans were excited to welcome back their teams this past weekend. The PWHL had three sellout games from Friday to Sunday. The Seattle Torrent recorded their first-ever sellout and a new U.S. attendance record with 17,355 fans in the stands to watch the team battle the Sceptres at Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle set the previous U.S. women’s hockey attendance record during their home opener in November. On Saturday, the Ottawa Charge had a sellout crowd of 8,572 fans as they hosted the Fleet at TD Place. The Victoire sold out Place Bell with 10,172 fans in attendance to see them play the Frost on Sunday.

Knight, Keller appear on Saturday Night Live

Hilary Knight and Megan Keller made a cameo on "Saturday Night Live" alongside Quinn and Jack Hughes on Saturday. Rocking their Team USA jerseys and gold medals, the forwards joined “Heated Rivalry” actor Connor Storrie during his monologue, which earned loud cheers from the crowd. After the show, the gold medal winners gifted Storrie and his co-star Hudson Williams, Torrent and Fleet jerseys. On Monday, Knight stopped by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” with the Hughes brothers.