Desbiens, Poulin lead Victoire to 2-1 shootout win over Sceptres in Halifax

HALIFAX — Ann-Renée Desbiens made 35 saves and Marie-Philip Poulin scored the shootout winner to help the Montreal Victoire beat the Toronto Sceptres in the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s first-ever game in Halifax on Wednesday.

Poulin buried the lone goal in a five-round shootout, and Desbiens stopped all five Sceptres attempts as a sold-out crowd of nearly 10,438 inside Scotiabank Centre cheered equally for Toronto and Montreal.

Maya Labad scored in regulation for Montreal (2-1-0-1) after Anna Kjellbin opened the scoring for Toronto (2-0-1-2).

Sceptres goalie Raygan Kirk stopped 30 shots.

It marked the first of 16 neutral-site matchups — and the first of two in Halifax — this season on the PWHL’s Takeover Tour.

The league returns to the home of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads on Jan. 11 when the Ottawa Charge face the Boston Fleet.

Kjellbin opened the scoring at 3:26 in the first period to give the Sceptres an early lead on assists from Clara Van Wieren and Emma Woods, but Labad tied it up at 12:16 with helpers from Kaitlin Willoughby and Kati Tabin.

Toronto captain and fan favourite Blayre Turnbull of Stellarton, N.S., almost scored the winner off her own rebound in the final seconds in regulation, but the feisty forward was unable to put it past Desbiens.

Sceptres forward Emma Maltais appeared to win the game on a breakaway in overtime, but Toronto defender Renata Fast was called for interference on Montreal’s Jessica DiGirolamo moments before her shot crossed the goal line.

The Sceptres fought off five penalties over the 65 minutes of play.

The game featured several players and staff with connections to Nova Scotia, including Toronto’s Turnbull, blueliner Allie Munroe of Yarmouth and head coach Troy Ryan of Spryfield, along with Victoire coach Kori Cheverie of New Glasgow.

Spectres forward Maggie Connors of St. John’s also hails from Atlantic Canada, which comprises 11 per cent of registered female hockey players across the country, according to Hockey Canada.

Up next

Victoire: Visit the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.

Sceptres: Visit the New York Sirens on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2025.