New York Sirens pick Czech forward Kristýna Kaltounková 1st overall in PWHL draft
Kaltounková became the first player from the Czech Republic to become a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in college hockey this season at Colgate, where she produced 48 points in 37 games.
She is Colgate's all-time leading goal scorer, with 111 goals over five seasons.
In her world championship debut this past spring, Kaltounková tied fellow draft-eligible forward, Natálie Mlýnková, for the team lead in points (six in seven games).
She is now the highest-drafted player in the PWHL from the Czech Republic.
The Sirens could slot Kaltounková on its first line alongside Sarah Fillier, giving the team two bonafide shooting threats, and filling a hole left by the departure of Alex Carpenter during the expansion process.
Kaltounková is New York's second first-overall pick in three PWHL seasons, after GM Pascal Daoust picked Fillier in 2024.
The draft comes after an expansion process that saw the league's rosters thrown in a blender. Vancouver and Seattle will begin play next season, and lots of teams still have holes to fill after the expansion draft and free agency.
Other top prospects include University of Wisconsin forward Casey O'Brien and Clarkson University defenders Haley Winn and Nicole Gosling.
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