A 27-year-old woman is in hospital after being stabbed in NDG's Monkland Village.

Around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday people called 9-1-1 to report a woman had been stabbed at the intersection of Monkland Ave. and Girouard Ave. in Montreal.

The victim, a Master’s student, was walking home alone from the Villa Maria Metro, when a man said something to her – which she could not hear being she was wearing headphones - and jumped her, said her husband, who asked not to be identified.

“The next thing she knew, she felt herself being punched in the neck and she was in a considerable amount of pain,” he said.

She was able to cross the street and flag down a bus.

“The bus stopped and a couple of people got out and one said he was able to administer first aid, [and asked] would it be ok if he examined her, and she said yes and that's when he saw the knife in her neck,” said her husband.

They sat on a bench as the person assisted her.

"When the police officers arrived at the scene they discovered a lady with upper body injuries. She got transported to hospital [in critical condition]," said Montreal police spokesperson Benoit Boiselle.

Surgeons set to work immediately and within a few hours could say the woman was in critical but stable condition.

“The surgical team at the trauma centre at the Montreal General did a phenomenal job, there seems to be no serious damage to any arteries or muscles or tendons,” said the victim’s husband.

She remains in hospital and her husband is hopeful she will make a full recovery.

Boiselle said that after discovering the stabbing victim, police rushed to locate the person who had attacked her, getting help from search dogs.

"The suspect had left the scene before officers arrived, but the canine unit caught the guy and officers arrested him," said Boiselle.

They found a man was hiding under a balcony on nearby Earnscliffe Ave., and he likely would have evaded detection if the dogs had not located him. 

“Police officers arrested him and transported him to the detention centre,” said Boiselle

Police set up a perimeter overnight to investigate the area for more clues about the attack.

So far police have not said why the 25-year-old suspect might have attacked the woman, but said the alleged attacker does not know the victim.

They say he was under the influence of drugs, adding that robbery was not a motive.

The suspect will be formally charged with attempted murder on Thursday.