The Montreal Victoire remain a work in progress — and head coach Kori Cheverie is more than comfortable with that reality.
Ahead of their upcoming game against the Ottawa Charge (Saturday, 2pm, CBC/Radio-Canada/YouTube), Cheverie emphasized growth, experimentation, and patience as key themes for a team still finding its optimal combinations, especially up front. One notable absence from practice was forward Laura Stacey, though Cheverie downplayed any concern saying that she would wait for the medical report, but it was just precautionary.
The Victoire shuffled their lines in their recent game against the Minnesota Frost, which Cheverie said was part circumstance and part opportunity. With all 14 forwards healthy only recently, she acknowledged how tricky it is to settle on consistent combinations.
“We have 14 forwards, so we have to make hard decisions every game of who’s going to be in the lineup and who’s not,” she said. “We’re still working through those combinations. We’re trying different things.” Unfortunately for Lina Ljungblom, that meant she was a healthy scratch for their last game.
Cheverie noted that unlike some teams who were able to experiment early in the season, Montreal is only now getting the chance to see its full forward group together. As a result, finding chemistry will take time, but she’s encouraged by what she’s seen so far.
“We’re liking what we’re seeing and we’re trying new things,” she said. “I think we’re growing our young players in the process, which is great for further down the line, and into the end of the year.”
Defensively, she believes the Victoire are already strong. “We’re very good defensively. We’re stingy defensively,” she said. However, she admitted the team allowed too much offensively against Minnesota. Still, Cheverie remains confident that improved scoring will come with structure and familiarity. “Finishing more offence, it comes from good defensive posture and structure,” she said. “Once we get some chemistry there and some minutes put in for different pairs, I think we’re going to start to see some better results.”
One area where there has been little question is in goal. Cheverie had nothing but praise for Ann-Renée Desbiens, calling this the strongest stretch she’s seen from the veteran goalie.
“This is the best I’ve seen Ann,” Cheverie said. “She’s been incredible — calm, composed, big.” Beyond her on-ice performance, Cheverie highlighted Desbiens’ hockey intelligence and leadership, noting how involved she is during games. “She continues to strategize with us even during TV timeouts,” Cheverie said. “She’s very much a student of the game. She understands the game well.”
Looking ahead to Ottawa, Cheverie indicated that fans should expect continued lineup movement as the coaching staff works to put players — especially younger ones — in positions to succeed. “It’s our responsibility as a team to get our younger players where they need to be,” she said. “You’re going to see different line combinations continue, because it’s a little bit of pre-scout, a little bit of chemistry, and a little bit of what we feel on the bench at the time.”
For Cheverie and the Victoire, the focus remains on steady growth. With improving health, strong goaltending, and a commitment to development, Montreal is trusting the process — even if it means some experimentation along the way.
