Place Bell - Montreal Victoire
- Dave Cottenie
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey.
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Place Bell
19 Rue Claude-Gagné
Laval, QC H7N 0E4
Year Opened: 2017
Capacity: 10,170
En Route Vers la Victoire
Ripples went through the sports world in 2023 with the establishment of the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Although there had been other women’s hockey leagues previously, this one seemed like it was going to be different. A new standard of media coverage and funding was clear from the beginning, and welcoming the best players in the world, including the Olympians, was the goal.
A few years in, and the PWHL is going strong. One of the cornerstone franchises in the PWHL is the Montréal Victoire. Featuring stars like Ann-Renée Desbiens, Laura Stace,y and Marie-Philip Poulin with local ties has been a recipe for success.
The inaugural season for the Victoire was played mostly at the Verdun Auditorium, an old, 3,800-seat arena in the suburbs of Montréal that has been home to a number of QMJHL teams. It was clear early on that the Verdun Auditorium was not going to be sufficient for the Victoire and a move to the larger, newer Place Bell in Laval, a city on the island just north of Montréal. A larger building has not been an issue for the Victoire, which has continued to grow in its initial years.
Food & Beverage 4
Concession options at Place Bell are pretty decent. The biggest issue with concessions is that patrons will have to maneuver the French menus. Lafleur hot dogs and Pizza Pizza slices are easily recognizable. Poutine, fries, chocolate, candy, and cotton candy are all readily available. The soft drink of choice is Coca-Cola, and coffee and other hot beverages are also available.
What looks like a fairly pedestrian menu gets a bump up with the presence of Montréal Smoked Meat sandwiches and a wide variety of alcoholic beverages beyond just the popular Molson Export beer. A little Google Translate may be in order, but getting through the menu is possible.
Atmosphere 3
Approaching Place Bell, fans will immediately be struck by its exterior. It has a presence in the neighborhood and is not inconspicuous. The venue is highlighted by a large, white upper exterior that looks clean and sharp. The entrance to the main facility is well below the white facade and features a glass entrance into a very small entryway. To the west end of the building are the other parts of a larger complex, including an Olympic-sized ice surface with room for over 2,000 spectators.
Inside Place Bell, it is clear that this is the full-time home of the Laval Rocket. The concourse features markings for the Rocket and other items, including murals for other acts, including a WWE mural featuring Montréal natives Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
However, there are no markings for the Victoire at the time of writing. Screens in the concourse mimic the videoboard with the matchup for the day, and pop-up stands sell Victoire merchandise. It is similar in the seating bowl where the ice is west-east oriented, and the correct view of the Rocket logo at centre ice is from the south. A couple of banners for the Rocket hang in the rafters. The seating bowl is generally dark with a full lower bowl and a horseshoe upper bowl. Again, there are no Victoire markings on the ice or in the seating bowl. Some women-focused ads are found on the boards.
The gameday production for a Victoire game is fairly simple. The in-game host is interesting and engaging. A DJ booth is in the northwest corner, and, similar to the Rocket, the Victoire tries to push a dance party-type atmosphere. A focus on female artists is obvious for the music selections during breaks in the action.
Neighbourhood 4
Place Bell is located north of the Prairies River, in the Laval-des-Rapides neighbourhood, close to retail and education. Centre Laval and Quartier Laval offer large-scale shopping options within walking distance of the arena. Montmorency College is right across the road from a Université de Montréal campus. Not as flashy as a big city, downtown area, Laval does offer some spots, both local and chain, for pre- and post-game food. Nickels Deli and Valentine are local favourites, and there are plenty of Italian restaurants in the area, including Sergiolino and Boeuf Cochon.
Place Bell is shared with the Laval Rocket of the AHL, affiliate of the Montréal Canadiens. For other sporting options, fans will have to head south, into Montréal for the Canadiens, Alouettes, or CF Montréal. University sports are also well represented with the McGill Redbirds, Concordia Stingers, Montréal Carabins, and UQAM Citadins.
Fans could also head north for some QMJHL hockey with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Fans looking for other cultural experiences in the immediate area could go to the Musée de la santé Armand-Frappier, a local science centre, or head back into Montréal for all it has to offer. The Courtyard, Le St-Martin Hotel, Holiday Inn, and Comfort Inn are all close for accommodations.
Fans 4
The Montréal Victoire have been very successful at the turnstile. At the time of writing, the 2025-26 season, the Victoire were averaging almost 10,400 fans per game. This includes a sold-out event at Centre Bell. This ranks the Victoire 3rd in the PWHL. The attendance is an improvement from just over 9,000 in the previous season. Fans in attendance are loud and into the action of the game, and the Victoire have amassed a unique following of supporters.
Access 4
Place Bell is located in the Laval-des-Rapides neighbourhood of Laval. It is on the south side of Rue Claude-Gagné, between Rue Lucien Paiement and Boul le Corbusier. Laval is essentially a suburb of Montréal, north of the island. Montréal traffic is as much an issue as any other big city, and getting into Laval depends on where a fan is coming from.
Place Bell is located immediately east of Autoroute 15 and south of Autoroute 440. There is plenty of parking around the arena at the campus of Montmorency College. For fans wanting to head to the game by taking public transportation, there are several options, and a major Metro Station is within a few steps of Place Bell. The Gare de la Concorde Train station is a few blocks east of the arena. Fans should check the Société de Transport de Montréal or Société de Transport de Laval websites for fares, maps, and schedules.
Getting around the arena is not difficult at all, and the washroom facilities are adequate for the crowd at hand. With the coronavirus pandemic, protocols and security measures are constantly changing. Stadium Journey implores fans to consult the Place Bell and Montréal Victoire websites to get the most up-to-date security and protocol information possible.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for the Montréal Victoire start at $37 and go up to $89. Parking can be found for around $20, and concession prices are about what one would expect. The investment is relatively low, and taking the family to a Victoire game is a far cry from the expense of taking them to a Habs game. The atmosphere is good, and the product on the ice is solid as well. Overall, the return on investment is good.
Extras 2
An extra mark for the significant growth displayed for both the PWHL and Montréal Victoire.
An extra mark for the Montréal area as a true hockey hotbed.
Final Thoughts
It is difficult to predict where the Montréal Victoire and PWHL will end up. Growth has pushed the team out of the Verdun Auditorium into Place Bell, a successful move. Whether the Victoire continues to grow, requiring another move to a larger building, remains to be seen, but it is not out of the question.
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