Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Before stepping onto the ice for her first PWHL playoff game, Abby Hustler admitted she felt “a little bit of nerves.”
Hustler, who’s from St. Louis, P.E.I., and is currently the only Islander in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, was about to face the Montréal Victoire, who finished first in the regular season. Hustler’s team, the Minnesota Frost, entered the playoffs as the third seed.
But on Saturday, Hustler and the Frost went into the Victoire’s loud home rink in Laval, Que. and came out with a 5-4 win in Game 1 of the Walter Cup semifinals.
“It was very exciting to get that first win and get everything kind of on the board and, you know, make them sweat a little bit,” Hustler told CBC News on Monday.
“That was a really good start for us. But obviously, you know, you don’t win in one game, and that’s why it’s a five‑game series. So we got to keep pushing.”
The 2025-26 PWHL regular season ended in April with the Victoire on top of the standings for the second straight year. The Boston Fleet finished second, Minnesota third and the Ottawa Charge fourth.
As the No. 1 seed, Montréal was allowed to choose its opponent for the first round, and picked Minnesota.
That decision gave the Frost extra motivation, particularly among the team’s veteran players, who felt “a bit offended” given Minnesota’s playoff success in recent years, Hustler said.
“For a team to want that, it’s pretty gutsy.”
Hustler had strong support in the stands for her playoff debut, with several family members making the trip.
“My parents, my sister, aunts and uncles, grandparents.… I had quite a few people in the crowd,” she said. “I tried to look for their Frost purple jerseys, but I think I saw one of them, but that was pretty much it.”
Along with that support, Hustler credited her teammates for helping her settle into the game.
She said her nerves stayed in check for her first PWHL playoff appearance, thanks in large part to the veterans on the roster.
“The girls are so calm, and so you can, like, get the vibe being beside them that, you know, they’re not fazed by much,” she said. “So I think it helped having the older girls just be calm, cool and collected.”
She added that playoff hockey brings a lot more intensity compared to the regular season.
“It’s definitely a faster pace, more physical. Everyone plays the game a little tighter. It’s no different than any other playoffs in any other division,” she said.
“It’s just cool to be in an environment like that, so loud, and they’re so passionate about their hockey.… But yeah, it’s pretty nice silencing the crowd.”
The Montreal Victoire kept spectators at the edge of their seats as the team began its bid for a Walter Cup at home against the Minnesota Frost on Saturday at Place Bell in Laval. Despite a loss in overtime, the fans are ready to cheer on the team in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Game 2 between Minnesota and Montréal is set for Tuesday.
Hustler said she’s been focusing on rest, recovery and watching more hockey to prepare.
“We know what we have to do to win,” she said. “We just kind of go with the flow and get ready for Tuesday.”
Source link
