New York Sirens 2025-26 Season Preview

After two consecutive seasons just outside the playoff picture, the New York Sirens are entering 2025–26 with a brand-new look. The organization made sweeping changes over the offseason, from expansion-related roster moves to draft-day acquisitions, all while keeping a strong core of veterans to anchor the team. The result is a roster brimming with speed, skill and youth, with a roster ready to compete immediately at the same time as it develops for the future.

General Manager Pascal Daoust is optimistic about the upcoming season. “If I was only listening to me, I would definitely be excited. But it’s not just me. The staff and players are even more excited. That’s convincing me we did a lot of good things,” he told us in a recent phone interview. “It’s not like we changed only one ingredient. We spiced things up a lot. We changed players because of expansion, because of trades, we drafted young players with a different vibe and a lot of speed.”

Rookies to Watch: Two First-Rounders Look to Reshape the Squad

The Sirens’ draft strategy was focused on speed and skill, bringing in rookies poised to make an immediate impact. Native New Yorker Casey O’Brien and first overall pick Kristýna Kaltounková are each expected to immediately reshape the roster, and second rounder Anne Cherkowski is also a highly touted new forward. All come in with impressive international experience and are seen as capable of stepping into key roles early, which is a situation New York is extremely familiar with having enjoyed the impact of last year’s league Rookie of the Year and co-leading scorer Sarah Fillier.

“We definitely saw Sarah have a lot of success,” Daoust said. “Not that we were surprised because of how well she’d done at the international level. She is a unique talent and already knew how to score on the best goalies in the world. Kalty, Casey O’Brien, Anne Cherkowski—they are going from the best college league to the best players in the world. They need to bring what they’ve been doing to our level. Time and space will change for them, but we need to just trust the process.”

What about the veterans?

Despite the roster turnover, the Sirens have retained several key veterans to provide stability. Team captain Micah Zandee Hart signed a contract extension through 2026–27, while fellow stout defenders Jaime Bourbonnais, Maja Nylén Persson and Allyson Simpson also remain mainstays. The D Corps also now boasts Jincy Roese, signed away from Ottawa in June.

On the frontline, the young gunners will be augmented by Kristin O’Neill, a noted leader and experienced international player who came over in the draft-day trade with Montréal.

“The returning vets are excited, and there are new roles available for them to grab,” Daoust said. “They’ve spent the last five months to train and now they can come and prove they can fit in a different chair.”

Leadership / Coach’s Corner

Daoust emphasized shared accountability in a locker room that no longer has alternate captains Alex Carpenter or Ella Shelton around. “O’Neill was an assistant captain and has an important role with Team Canada. She has a great connection with many players in the room,” he said. “It feels like Fillier has been in the league since it began. She signed an extension with us and that showed leadership in itself. All these players who are staying and signing with us says a lot.”

Daoust himself is heading into his third year at the helm of the Sirens’ hockey operation, while head coach Greg Fargo, who coached Kaltounková (as well as Simpson and goalie Kayle Osborne) at Colgate, is back for his second season behind New York's bench.

Between the Pipes: Kayle Osborne

New York’s goaltending situation is anchored by Osborne, who brings recent Team Canada experience and a strong collegiate track record into her second PWHL season. Osborne represents stability between the pipes, giving the team confidence to play an aggressive style while trusting in her ability to make key saves.

The defensive corps complements Osborne’s play, with veterans like Bourbonnais providing experience and leadership on the back end. Asked if all the young offensive firepower the Sirens have means the team is aiming to simply out-score its opponents, Daoust disagreed. “No, we can’t have an outscore mindset,” he said. “Osborne is a Team Canada goalie and now she has one year under her belt. We also have great tools on the backend. And our forwards can’t only be thinking offense. You have to respect the talent facing us every night. There are not going to be games where a team scores seven or eight goals in this league.”

Season Outlook

The goal for the re-tooled Sirens is straightforward: make the playoffs. The team has been on the cusp for two straight seasons, and with a blend of veterans and talented newcomers, they have the pieces to compete in a tightly packed league.

“We’re definitely looking to be in the playoffs,” Daoust said. “Once you’re there, everything is possible as we’ve seen the first two years. That’s definitely a goal for us. But we have to go one step at a time. You plant a seed with the players. Now you want them to grow.”