Sens to host USports women’s preseason matchup between Queen’s and Montreal

Some of the brightest prospects in Canadian women’s university hockey will hit the ice at the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre next month. 

The Belleville Senators will welcome the Queen’s University Gaels and the University of Montreal Carabins for a preseason clash on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., as the club continues to highlight and support women’s sports throughout the 2026-27 season, including Women in Sports Night on January 8, 2027.

In partnership with the Belleville Senators’ Women in Sports Night, coming up later this season (January 8, 2027), the club will welcome the Queen’s University Gaels and the University of Montreal Carabins for a preseason clash on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. All tickets will be $10 each and will be on sale Wednesday, September 2, 2026, via Ticketmaster. Stay tuned to the Senators’ social media channels (@BellevilleSens) to find out when to get yours. 

“Bringing exciting events like this to Belleville is a great opportunity to showcase the quality of hockey being played in and around our region while helping grow the game at all levels,” said Belleville Sens Vice President of Business Operations John Mathers. “We’re proud to welcome Queen’s and the University of Montréal to the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre and give fans the chance to experience high-level women’s university hockey right here in our community. Events like this help introduce new audiences to the game, create opportunities for the next generation of players and fans to see themselves represented on the ice, and continue the Senators’ commitment to supporting local hockey” 

The Carabins are defending USports Women’s Hockey National Champions, finishing the 2025-26 regular season with a record of 13-11, before winning all three games in the National Championship round robin. Montreal first beat the top-seeded UBC Thunderbirds 4-3 in a shootout, then knocked off the University of New Brunswick 5-1 in the semi-finals, before pulling off a 5-2 victory against fellow Montreal-based school Concordia University, to claim the 2026 USports title. 

Queen’s were the top women’s team in Ontario during the 2025-26 regular season, skating to a record of 19-7 (11-2 at home) in 2025-26. However, the Gaels would be upset 2-1 by the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in the quarterfinals of the OUA Championship and were unable to qualify for the national tournament. The Gaels’ have a couple of connections to hockey in the Friendly City. Goaltending Coach Mike Murphy was a standout with the Ontario Hockey League Belleville Bulls during his playing career, while head coach Morgan McHaffie was a guest at the AHL Senators 2026 Women in Sports Night.