On August 29, 2023, it was announced that one of the PWHL's first six franchises would be located in Montreal.[7] On September 1, Daniele Sauvageau, the one-time coach for Canada's national team, was announced as the team's general manager.[8]Kori Cheverie, a former assistant coach with the Canadian national team and the first woman to have coached a Canadian men's hockey team, was named the team's inaugural coach on September 13.[9][10]
The team colours were officially announced on November 14, 2023 as burgundy, "sand", and "storm".[13] Later that month, it was revealed that the team would host the majority of its games at the Verdun Auditorium, with four games at Place Bell.[14][15] On December 29, the team announced that Poulin would serve as team captain, with Stacey and Erin Ambrose serving as assistant captains.[16]
Montréal's first ever game took place on January 2, 2024, against Ottawa; the 8,318 fans in attendance at Ottawa's TD Place Arena set a new attendance record for professional women's hockey.[17] Claire Dalton scored the first goal in franchise history. Although Montréal twice trailed in the game, Ann-Sophie Bettez scored in overtime to secure the team's first win by a score of 3–2.[17] The team hosted its first home game on January 13, with Boston securing a 3–2 overtime win in front of a sold-out crowd at Verdun Auditorium.[18]
On February 16, 2024, Montréal played a match hosted by Toronto at Scotiabank Arena in a game dubbed by the league as "The Battle on Bay Street".[19] The game set a league and women’s hockey attendance record with a sellout crowd of 19,285, beating the previous record of 18,013 at the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship.[20] Two months later, on April 20, Montréal hosted Toronto in its first-ever home match at the Bell Centre (the home of the NHL's Canadiens), selling out the arena and setting another new attendance record (21,105).[21] This game was known as "The Duel at the Top."[22]
Held on September 18, 2023, the inaugural PWHL draft used a "snake draft" format with the selection order reversing after each round; Montreal held the sixth and final pick in the first round.[27][28]
^Kennedy, Ian (November 23, 2023). "PWHL Releases Jersey Designs". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
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