Victoire opt to open PWHL playoffs against Minnesota



Raygan Kirk,Katy Knoll,Allie Munroe

The PWHL regular-season champion Montreal Victoire bucked the standings by choosing to open their semifinal playoff series facing the third-place — and two-time defending Walter Cup champion — Minnesota Frost, the team announced Sunday night.

In selecting Minnesota, Montreal also set the other best-of-five semifinal matchup of second-place Boston Fleet facing fourth-place Ottawa Charge.

Montreal finished with 62 points and in a tie for first with Boston in the standings, but held the tiebreaker in having more overall wins, 22 to the Fleet’s 21. The PWHL has had its regular-season champion pick its opponent since the league launched three years ago.

And so far, the top team’s choice has backfired, including last year, when Montreal opted to play third-place Ottawa and lost the series in four games. In 2024, Toronto chose to play fourth-place Minnesota, and lost that series in five games.

The Fleet will open their series against Ottawa at Boston on Thursday night. The Victoire will open their series at Montreal on Saturday.

In choosing Minnesota, Montreal avoided a rematch of last year’s grueling semifinal series against the Charge in which all four games were decided by one goal — including the Victoire’s 3-2 win that required four overtime periods.

This year, Montreal swept its four-game season series against Minnesota, with two decided in overtime. The Victoire allowed a league-low 41 goals and finished second with 78 goals scored. Minnesota scored a league-leading 91 goals and were tied for fourth in allowing 73.

Ottawa won all four meetings against Boston, with three ending in shootouts and the other in overtime. And the Charge clinched the PWHL's fourth and final berth with a season-ending 3-0 win over Toronto on Saturday.

The regular-season standings haven’t mattered much in the past two PWHL playoffs, with the lower-seeded team winning each series.

Minnesota finished fourth in the standings each time before rolling to win the championship. The Frost beat Boston in five games to win the inaugural title in 2024. The following year, they defeated Ottawa in four games.



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A Republican lawmaker charged in an alcohol-related driving offense won’t have to appear in court again until after the Legislature adjourns for the year.

A June 10 arraignment hearing is set for Rep. Elliott Engen, a Lino Lakes Republican who faces three misdemeanor charges following an arrest early Friday. He was stopped for speeding and other infractions in White Bear Lake; officers detected alcohol and he later tested well above the legal limit for driving, according to a citation.

Engen has apologized for a lapse in judgment; he promised to learn from his actions and “do better.” Aside from being a second-term legislator, he is also a candidate for state auditor.

A second lawmaker, GOP Rep. Walter Hudson, was in Engen’s truck at the time of the stop and an open bottle of alcohol was found in a rear seat. Hudson, a second-term legislator from Albertville, was in possession of a permitted handgun, which could cause him legal problems if he is determined to have been intoxicated.

Police officers wrote in their report that Hudson disclosed he had the gun as the truck was being searched. The report said police took the firearm for safekeeping and said he could pick it up at a later time, which Hudson agreed to.

“I regret the poor decisions that were made during this incident, and commend the White Bear Police Department for their professional response,” Hudson said in a written statement. “I’m grateful that no harm was done to ourselves and others.”

Two lawmakers stand and look around
Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, (center) and Rep. Bidal Duran, R-Bemidji, (right) join other Republican lawmakers gather in the House chambers Jan. 27, 2025.
Tim Evans for MPR News file

A third, unidentified passenger was in the truck as well, according to police. Hudson and that person were transferred to the police department until they could arrange rides.

The Minnesota lawmakers had been at the Capitol late into the evening Thursday as the House debated procedural motions on gun, immigration and social media legislation. The motions failed on 67-67 votes.

There is no indication yet that either Hudson nor Engen had been drinking on Capitol grounds, which would be a violation of a House rule against consumption of alcohol or drugs in spaces under that chamber’s control.

According to a White Bear Lake Police report, Engen initially said he had not been drinking when asked by the police officer who pulled him over — “nothing at all,” he is quoted as saying. He performed a field sobriety test, which the report says showed signs of impairment.

Engen gave a preliminary breath sample there, the report says, which estimated a 0.142 blood alcohol level. After he was taken by squad car to the police department “Engen spontaneously stated, ‘Sir, I had a drink three hours ago,’” the report says.

He told the Minnesota Star Tribune in an interview Monday that he had also consumed alcohol in the afternoon on Thursday as well.

Engen is charged with two impaired driving offenses and speeding. White Bear Lake police also said he was driving a vehicle with expired registration and an inoperable headlight.

Engen has not returned calls from MPR News. A court docket lists a “notice of appearance” on Tuesday.

He is being represented in the criminal case by Chris Madel, an Excelsior attorney who waged a brief Republican campaign for governor.



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