There was never any doubt.
Soon after the Montreal Victoire defeated the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Final, winning their first league championship in franchise history, Marie-Philip Poulin was named the 2026 PWHL Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP.
MARIE-PHILIP POULIN WINS THE ILANA KLOSS PLAYOFF MVP AWARD! 🏆
Poulin finished the postseason leading the league in assists with six and tied for the most points with eight.
Read Tyler Kuehl’s Game 4 recap for Daily Faceoff
She recorded three helpers in four games in the Walter Cup Final, and assisted on Abby Roque’s game-winning goal in the clinching game.
The league championship and playoff MVP caps off a magical season for Poulin, who despite missing 11 regular-season games due to injury, finished the year with nine goals and nine assists for 18 points, leading Montreal in goals.
In three PWHL seasons, the Victoire captain has 38 goals and 29 assists for 67 points in 70 regular-season games. She also has four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 16 Walter Cup Playoff games.
Montreal, who defeated the Minnesota Frost in the first round of the playoffs, become the first Canadian team in league history to hoist the Walter Cup.
Ottawa’s Gwyneth Philips won the Ilana Kloss Award last spring when she led the Charge to the Walter Cup Final, losing to the Frost in four games. She posted a .952 save percentage and a 1.23 goals against average in eight playoff games.
The first-ever player to win the Ilana Kloss was Minnesota’s Taylor Heise after the Frost defeated the Boston Fleet in the 2024 Walter Cup Final.
Check out the PWHL playoff hub
