By: Alexis Caines | Follow me on Twitter / X @alexiscaines_
The Boston Bruins – Montréal Canadiens rivalry is widely regarded as one of the best in sports. According to the 2025-26 NHLPA Player Poll, it’s the second-best rivalry in the National Hockey League. The rivalry has flourished in the postseason, especially with the teams meeting 34 times: the most in NHL history. They haven’t met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2014, when the Canadiens won Game Seven. This year, if both teams win their respective first-round series, they would meet once more.
This season, the rivalry has picked up a bit more traction. Was it because of the exciting regular season series that resulted in a 2-2 draw? Probably. And some help from fictional phenomenons Shane and Ilya didn’t hurt either.
If you’re a hockey fan who wishes the games happened more than four times a year, you don’t have to look far: cue the Montréal Victoire and the Boston Fleet. It’s four additional games of pure hatred on ice.
Identical to their NHL counterparts, they tied their regular-season series 2-2. The games have featured overtime, dramatic comebacks, and two of the world’s best goaltenders. While there’s no “dropping the gloves” in the PWHL ( yet ), these two teams have extracurriculars after every single whistle.
Despite the final score, the Boston Fleet game at TD Garden was a massive success. Credit given to their opponent in Montréal, because a Boston-Montréal game at TD Garden is guaranteed to be a hit.
“[It’s] one of the biggest stages we’ve played on as a group, and it’s no secret we have a rivalry with [Montréal], it gets physical out there,” said Megan Keller after Boston’s loss at the Garden.
The PWHL just announced that they surpassed one million live-attendance fans in the 2025-26 season. This huge accomplishment comes in just the third season of league existence. As they continue to build their platform and attempt to bring in more hockey fans, these already existing rivalries are huge for growth.
It’s unclear whether the Fleet and Victoire will meet in the 2026 Walter Cup Playoffs. Both have clinched a berth, and the Victoire have home ice. It’s not impossible for the two teams to meet in the semifinals or the finals.
In the inaugural season, the Fleet and Victoire met in the semifinals. Montréal was seeded at two and Boston at three. The best-of-five series did not disappoint. The Boston Fleet advanced to the Walter Cup Final, sweeping the Montréal Victoire 3-0, and all three games were won in overtime.
The Fleet did not qualify for the playoffs during the 2024-25 season, so the Victoire are still waiting to get their revenge. If the two teams were to meet in the postseason, it would undoubtedly be the series to watch, as many Canadiens-Bruins series once were.
For any hockey fans who want to see this rivalry restored, the PWHL streams every game on YouTube for free. While you may not see Nikita Zadorov and Jayden Struble dropping the gloves at the opening draw, you’ll still get ferocity, passion, and above all: elite hockey.
What could be better than one Montréal-Boston playoff series? How about two?
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