PWHL Championship 2026-27 Betting Preview: Walter Cup Predictions & Winner Odds

Montréal Victoire (+500)

The Montréal Victoire enter the 2026-27 PWHL season as the defending Walter Cup champions after putting together the league’s best regular season in 2025-26. Montréal finished 16-6-2-6, scoring 78 goals while allowing just 41, and secured first place in the standings. The Victoire then went 3-2 against Minnesota in the semifinals before sweeping past Ottawa 3-1 in the Walter Cup Final.

The championship run was powered by a deep core that remains largely intact. Abby Roque and Laura Stacey tied for the team lead with 22 points, while defenseman Nicole Gosling added 19 points (3 goals, 16 assists). Marie-Philip Poulin produced 18 points in only 19 regular-season games, scoring a team-high nine goals.

This call was electric ⚡🔊️

Marie-Philip Poulin nailed a 3OT game-winner to even the series against Minnesota in the PWHL Walter Cup playoffs!

(via @thepwhlofficial) pic.twitter.com/ArtZl5pnPo

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 6, 2026

Goaltending remains another major strength. Ann-Renée Desbiens went 19-4-2 with an outstanding 1.11 goals-against average and .955 save percentage, including seven shutouts. She also posted a .936 save percentage during the playoffs.

Montréal also added international experience during last season, signing Italian national-team captain Nadia Mattivi, who had been named Sweden’s Defender of the Year in 2024-25 and played five games for Italy at the 2026 Olympics.

Most importantly for 2026-27, Montréal enters the season without a major roster subtraction from its championship core. Poulin, Roque, Stacey, Gosling and Desbiens give the Victoire an established foundation, while players such as Hayley Scamurra (16 points), Kati Tabin (12) and Natálie Mlýnková (10) provide additional depth.

At +500, Montréal is priced among the top contenders to repeat as Walter Cup champions. With the league expanding and several new teams entering the picture, repeating will present a different challenge. Still, the Victoire bring back the experience of having already gone through the entire championship process.

Minnesota Frost (+500)

The Minnesota Frost head into the 2026-27 PWHL season at +500 to win the Walter Cup, bringing back the core of the team that won back-to-back championships in the league’s first two seasons.

Despite coming up short last year, they had another strong campaign, finishing 16-9-5 with 50 points, good for third place in the regular-season standings. The Frost scored 91 goals while allowing 73, but their championship run ended in the semifinals when Montréal eliminated them 3-2 in a best-of-five series.

The offensive core remains formidable. Kelly Pannek led Minnesota with 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists), while Taylor Heise posted 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) and Britta Curl-Salemme added 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists).

Kendall Coyne Schofield also delivered at a point-per-game pace, recording 23 points in 23 games, and her return gives Minnesota its entire leadership group from the two championship teams.

What's better than 1 Kelly Pannek goal? 2 Kelly Pannek goals ✌️ https://t.co/bKpMcdjhsj pic.twitter.com/jRODjNyfNf

— Minnesota Frost (@PWHL_Minnesota) March 19, 2026

There are, however, some significant roster changes. Minnesota lost Curl-Salemme, Kendall Cooper, Abby Hustler, Mae Batherson and Katy Knoll during the expansion process. Curl-Salemme’s 29 points represented the team’s third-highest scoring total, while Cooper and Batherson were two of Minnesota’s top-scoring defensemen.

The Frost attempted to address those losses through the draft. Sara Swiderski, selected ninth overall, could immediately help replace some of the offensive ability lost on defense, while Viivi Vainikka and Maddy Christian give the forward group additional options.

Minnesota also selected Tova Henderson, Daria Gredzen and Lara Beecher. Gredzen has since signed, while veteran goaltender Marlène Boissonnault was also re-signed to join Maddie Rooney in net.

Most importantly, Minnesota retained Heise, Pannek, Grace Zumwinkle, Rooney and Lee Stecklein, while Coyne Schofield’s August extension kept the leadership core together. At +500, the Frost still have a proven championship foundation, although replacing the production lost through expansion will be an important storyline heading into this season. I don’t know if they did enough to step ahead of Montréal.

Boston Fleet (+600)

The Boston Fleet enter the 2026-27 PWHL season with +600 Walter Cup odds after finishing just short of first place last season. Boston went 16-5-4-5 for 62 points, tying Montréal for the league lead but finishing second on the tiebreaker. The Fleet were also one of the league’s strongest defensive teams, scoring 74 goals while allowing only 45.

Boston’s season ultimately ended in disappointment, however, as the fourth-seeded Ottawa Charge eliminated the Fleet 3-1 in the first round. Boston won Game 1 but dropped the next three, including a 4-3 double-overtime loss in the deciding game.

The Fleet have plenty of high-end talent returning for 2026-27. Megan Keller led the team with 22 points (7G, 15A), while Alina Müller had 21 points and Haley Winn added 19. Susanna Tapani led Boston with nine goals and finished with 18 points.

The biggest advantage remains in goal. Aerin Frankel went 19-4-1 with a remarkable 1.17 goals-against average, .953 save percentage and eight shutouts during the regular season. She was also named the PWHL’s Goaltender of the Year and MVP, giving Boston an elite foundation between the pipes.

2026 Goalie of the Year.
2026 Billie Jean King MVP.
Aerin "Aerin Frankel" Frankel. pic.twitter.com/yZoJ8Uzo9u

— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) June 17, 2026

Boston did have to navigate the league’s expansion process, but the Fleet retained several important pieces. Tapani was re-signed and protected, while Keller, Frankel, Müller and Winn remain under contract.

The club also brought back Loren Gabel, Laura Kluge, Rylind MacKinnon, Abby Newhook, Olivia Mobley and Amanda Thiele, among others.

The Fleet also added five players in the 2026 PWHL Draft, including first-round defender Grace Dwyer at No. 10 overall, along with defenders Leah Stecker and Maeve Kelly and forwards Jaden Bogden and Jenna Goodwin. Stecker subsequently signed a three-year contract through 2028-29.

Boston enters the season with a strong returning core, an elite goaltender and one of the league’s best defensive foundations. The biggest question is whether the Fleet can turn another excellent regular season into a deeper playoff run after last year’s early postseason exit.

PWHL Detroit (+600)

PWHL Detroit is entering its inaugural season as an expansion team, but its roster construction makes the club an intriguing team among the favorites. Detroit was aggressive during the expansion process, targeting established PWHL talent rather than relying exclusively on young players and draft picks.

The biggest name is Hilary Knight, who gives Detroit an elite veteran presence and one of the most accomplished players in women’s hockey. Detroit acquired Knight from Las Vegas in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft, a move that immediately gave the expansion club a proven offensive weapon and championship experience.

Hilary Knight now has FIVE MEDALS in her Olympic career, becoming only the 3rd player in Olympic ice hockey history to reach that mark 🇺🇸👏

If this is it for The Captain, what a run it was 🐐 pic.twitter.com/cVIO8asgfm

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 19, 2026

Britta Curl-Salemme is another major piece. She signed a three-year deal with Detroit after recording 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 30 games for Minnesota last season, giving Detroit a young forward who has already demonstrated that she can produce at the PWHL level.

Detroit also added Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka, two players with significant international and collegiate experience. Barnes gives the blue line an established two-way defender, while Bilka adds another skilled scoring option up front.

Daryl Watts, the team’s first-ever signing, provides another proven offensive player and became the first player in PWHL history to sign a four-year contract.

The supporting cast is also well constructed. Detroit added defenders Sydney Bard and Taylor Girard, while the club used the draft to continue building its depth. It selected goaltender Andrea Brändli with the 15th overall pick, giving the expansion franchise an intriguing option between the pipes.

There are obviously questions because Detroit has no previous regular-season results or team statistics to establish a baseline. Still, the combination of Knight’s experience, Curl-Salemme’s recent production, Watts’ scoring ability, Barnes’ defensive presence and a number of other established players gives Detroit a legitimate foundation from Day 1.