New York Sirens select Kristýna Kaltounková with No. 1 pick in 2025 PWHL Draft
OTTAWA – The New York Sirens selected Czech forward Kristýna Kaltounková with the No. 1 pick in the PWHL Draft on Tuesday night.
Kaltounková, 23, is a physically dominant forward with the hardest shot in the draft class.
Advertisement
At Colgate this season, she finished top-10 in goals in the nation and set a program record in goals (111) and game-winning goals (19). She finished her career just six points shy of the Colgate record in points, which is held by Danielle Serdachny, who was drafted second overall last season.
Kaltounková is a pro-ready forward who already has experience at the senior international level; she was tied for the scoring lead for Czechia in her women's world championship debut in April.
She has a solid frame (5-foot-9) and strong skating with a physical style of play that will benefit her in the PWHL. Kaltounková has a heavy and accurate shot that makes her a consistent threat in the offensive zone and off the rush. She wins puck battles along the wall, plays through contact, and does well to get to the netfront, where she has good hands and uses her size to take away goalies' sightlines.
In New York, Kaltounková could center her own line, giving the Sirens a one-two punch up the middle behind Canadian star Sarah Fillier. Or one of the two could move to the wing to load up the top line. Last season, Fillier was excellent on the wing beside Alex Carpenter. But after Carpenter was left unprotected in expansion and signed in Seattle, there's a major hole at the top of New York's lineup. Kaltounková could fill that position either at center or on the wing with her shot and nose for the net.
Advertisement
Defender Haley Winn and forward Casey O'Brien were other potential No. 1 picks, but with seven defenders currently on the roster it makes sense that New York opted for a forward. O'Brien was the No. 1 prospect in 's pre-draft ranking, but Kaltounková has history playing for New York coach Greg Fargo at Colgate, which made her an easy selection.
Kaltounková is New York's second-straight No. 1 selection after drafting Fillier first in 2024. The Sirens have finished last in the PWHL standings in back-to-back seasons and won the Gold Plan — the league's innovative approach to determining its draft order — and the No. 1 pick in both years.
The hope for the Sirens is that with Fillier and Kaltounková at the top of the lineup, the team can climb out of the basement of the standings for the first time in 2025-26. But a Fillier contract extension looms large — she only signed a one-year contract and is a restricted free agent — and is the single-biggest item on Daoust's to-do list this offseason.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
NHL, Women's Hockey
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
35 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Canadian men down El Salvador in ill-tempered, chaotic game at CONCACAF Gold Cup
HOUSTON - Canada is headed to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup to face Guatemala after a 2-0 win over nine-man El Salvador in a chaotic, ill-tempered game Tuesday. Captain Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan scored for No. 30 Canada at Shell Energy Stadium. No. 81 El Salvador took no prisoners in a shocking performance rife with ill will — and soon paid for it. The Central Americans were reduced to 10 men in the 35th minute when veteran midfielder Santos Ortiz, after scything down Niko Sigur, was shown a second yellow card. And midfielder Jairo Henriquez, after video review, was shown a straight red for elbowing Alistair Johnston in the face during first-half stoppage time. The second red came soon after El Salvador goalkeeper Mario Gonzalez stopped David's penalty after Jacob Shaffelburg was taken down in the box by Jeferson Valladares. 'Typical CONCACAF,' said David. 'I think a bit chaotic, a lot of fouls. But we knew (this), we expected this so we were just ready for it.' 'El Salvador, they're looking to provoke, they're looking to fight and battle,' added Sigur. 'In these kind of games it's tough to keep your head. But in the end we did and we move on.' Canada had 80.3 per cent possession, outshot El Salvador 14-2 (4-0 in shots on target) and had a 13-1 edge in corners. There were 30 fouls on the night, 19 against El Salvador. American referee Joe Dickerson showed six cards, four to El Salvador and two to Canada, as well as the straight red. A member of the El Salvador support staff was also shown a red card at the end of the first half. There were 22 fouls in the first half alone, with El Salvador called for 13. Canada dominated the second half, making the most of its numerical advantage. Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau could have taken the night off. El Salvador completed just 18 passes in the second half, according to Opta. David put Canada ahead in the 53rd minute, picking the corner of the goal after a slide-rule pass from Mathieu Choiniere. It was David's 35 goal for Canada, adding to his national men's record. Buchanan, in his 50th appearance for Canada, added to the lead in the 56 minute, roofing a pass from Sigur after an El Salvador turnover. It was his eighth international goal. Canada coach Jesse Marsch emptied his bench in the second half, likely to protect his starters, as Canada controlled play. By winning the group, Canada avoids No. 33 Panama, which won all three of its matches to top Group C, in the quarterfinal. Instead it will face No. 106 Guatemala, the Group C runner-up, on Sunday in Minneapolis. Canada has a 10-2-2 record against Guatemala but drew 0-0 the last time the two met in group play at the 2023 Gold Cup in Houston. Panama will next face No. 75 Honduras, which finished second in Group B after beating No. 90 Curaçao 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal in San Jose, Calif. The winner of the Canada-Guatemala match will face the winner of the United States-Costa Rica match in the July 2 semifinals in St. Louis. Marsch was back on the sideline after serving a two-game ban arising from being sent off in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place match in March, protesting the lack of a penalty call. He said later he was doing so at the behest of his players, who felt disrespected and had asked him to stand up for them. The Canadians could have secured their place in the quarterfinals on Saturday with a win over Curaçao. But they had to settle for a 1-1 draw after conceding a 94th-minute goal. Canada still went into the Group B finale in the driver's seat, one point ahead of Honduras, two ahead of Curaçao and three ahead of El Salvador with a sizable points differential advantage. In Group C play earlier Tuesday, Panama beat No. 63 Jamaica 4-1 and Guatemala downed unranked Guadeloupe 3-2, with CF Montreal midfielder Olger Escobar scoring one of the Guatemala goals. Guatemala defeated Jamaica 1-0 and lost 1-0 to Panama in earlier play. Canada opened with a 6-0 win over Honduras in Vancouver before facing Curaçao and El Salvador in Houston. It was 28 Celsius, feeling like 32 C, at kickoff for the 9 p.m. local time kickoff on Tuesday. Marsch made eight changes to his starting 11 with only Jonathan David, Shaffelburg and Sigur retaining their place. Tuesday's starters went into the game with a combined 343 caps compared to 220 for the starting 11 in the Curaçao game. It was Marsch's 20th game in charge of Canada. His record is 9-4-7 with two of the draws turning into penalty shootout losses (against Ivory Coast and Uruguay) and one into a shootout win (Venezuela). The game was delayed for some eight minutes soon after kickoff for Ortiz to receive treatment after taking an accidental boot to the head from Richie Laryea in taking the Canadian down. Ortiz, who was cautioned on the play, remained in the game — at least temporarily. El Salvador played a physical game from the get-go. Ortiz could have been sent off for a nasty studs-up tackle on Shaffelburg in the 16th minute, but escaped with a yellow card. Roberto Dominguez got a yellow in the 20th minute for a clothesline that sent Buchanan flying through the air. Soon after, Harold Osorio came close with a header off an El Salvador free kick that went just wide. Canada defender Luc de Fougerolles saw yellow in the 25th minute for a challenge that replays showed him getting all ball. Canada's Promise David (no relation to Jonathan David) missed a sitter in first-half stoppage time when he could not head Derek Cornelius' cross into the goal at the far post. El Salvador's squad is almost entirely comprised of players with domestic clubs other than midfielders Brayan Gil (FC Baltika, Russia), Enrico Duenas (Top Oss, the Netherlands) and Harold Osorio (Chicago Fire, MLS). El Salvador played Curaçao to a scoreless draw and lost 2-0 to Honduras in its first two outings. The Canadian men came into the game with a 10-5-4 record against El Salvador, winning 3-0 and 2-0 when they met in September 2021 and February 2022. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2025.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Sirens bolster roster with Kristyna Kaltounkova, Casey O'Brien picks in PWHL draft
The Sirens used the first round of the PWHL draft on Tuesday night to restock their offensive cupboard, taking Colgate star Kristyna Kaltounkova with the No. 1 pick and trading up to take Wisconsin forward Casey O'Brien with the No. 3 selection. The Sirens lost star forwards Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge after leaving the two unprotected in the exclusive signing window and the expansion draft, but add two young players who give them a scoring boost, including one who comes with three national championships to her name. Kaltounkova, a Czechia native, finished in the top 10 in goal scoring in the nation this past season with Colgate and scored a record 111 goals during her time with the program. Advertisement Kristyna Kaltounkova (center) from Vlasim, Czechia, poses for a photo after the New York Sirens selected the forward during the first round of the PWHL draft in Ottawa, Ontario on June 24, 2025. AP O'Brien led the country with 88 points and 62 assists, while winning the award as the top women's college hockey player in the United States. 'It doesn't matter what role I play, I'm just happy to jump in and help as much as I can. Make an impact immediately,' Kaltounkova said moments after being drafted. Advertisement The Sirens traded defender Ella Shelton for the Nos. 3 and 27 picks in Tuesday's draft. 'I'm super honored that New York traded up for me. It's pretty special and this just caps off an amazing year,' O'Brien said. The Sirens made nine selections in total during Tuesday's draft. USA's Britta Curl (bottom) collides with Kristyna Kaltounkova during the United States' win over the Czech Republic in their semifinal match at the Women's Ice Hockey Championships on April 19, 2025. AP Advertisement They took forward Anne Cherkowski from Clarkson University in the second round, Ohio State forward Makenna Webster in the third, defender Dayle Ross from St. Cloud State University with the 25th overall pick, Buckeye forward Maddi Wheeler with the 27th overall pick and Boston University goaltender Callie Shanahan with the 28th overall pick, which the Sirens had acquired in a trade with Montreal. The Sirens also took Anna Bargman from Yale in the fifth round and Quinnipiac goaltender Kaley Doyle in the sixth round.
Fox Sports
5 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Sirens stock up on offense in PWHL draft. Choose Kaltounkova at No. 1, trade up to pick O'Brien 3rd
Associated Press Sarah Fillier has plenty of offensive reinforcements joining her in New York, after the Sirens restocked their expansion-depleted roster by adding two of college hockey's top scorers in the first round of the PWHL draft Tuesday night. The Sirens used the No. 1 pick to select rugged, and hard-shooting Colgate forward Kristyna Kaltounkova. Minutes later Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust completed a trade with the Toronto Sceptres to acquire the No. 3 pick and choose Wisconsin center Casey O'Brien, women's college hockey's MVP last season. 'Watching who's on the roster, I'm just really excited to get started,' said Kaltounkova, who is from the Czech Republic and became the first European-born player selected No. 1 in the PWHL draft. 'I'm happy to jump in and help out as much as I can and make an impact immediately.' Daoust traded top defenseman Ella Shelton to acquire Toronto's first and fourth-round pick (27th overall) in the eight-team, six-round draft. The two forwards fill a major offensive hole after New York lost two of their three leading scorers — Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge — as well as starting goalie Corinne Schroeder to Seattle in the PWHL expansion draft and signing process earlier this month. Carpenter and Eldridge combined to score 20 of the Sirens league-low 71 goals last season. Kaltounkova and O'Brien join a team in need of star power after finishing last in the standings in each of the PWHL's first two seasons and lags in attendance playing out of New Jersey. And they join a lineup deep at defense and features Fillier, last year's No. 1 pick, who finished tied for the PWHL lead with 29 points. 'Sarah is one of those players who I grew up hearing her name, and I've always been a really big fan of her game,' O'Brien said. 'I think we have similar vision and so I'd be honored if I got the opportunity to be her teammate.' Two Clarkson defenseman filled out the top four picks with the Boston Fleet choosing Haley Winn at No. 2, and Montreal drafting Nicole Gosling at No. 4. The Ottawa Charge also went defense in selecting Cornell's Rory Guilday at No. 5. The two-time defending champion Minnesota Frost followed by drafting Quinnipiac defenseman Kendall Cooper at No. 6. The PWHL's two expansion teams went next with Vancouver selecting 35-year-old forward Michelle Karvinen, a four-time Olympian and Finland's career leading scorer in world championship play. Seattle closed the first round by drafting Ohio State forward Jenna Buglioni, who is from suburban Vancouver. Colgate's Hannah Murphy was the first goaltender drafted, selected in the second round by Seattle. The Sirens' first-round splash captured most of the attention of the PHWL's third draft. Kaltounkova is reunited with Sirens coach Greg Fargo, who previously coached her at Colgate. Kaltounkova leaves the Raiders after five seasons as the school's career-leading scorer with 111 goals and second with 223 points. Another plus for the 23-year-old Kaltounkova, who has spent the past eight years playing in North America, is she gets to stay in New York. 'I don't have to change my driver's license,' she said with a laugh. More important was being a role model for girls in the Czech Republic, and two months after she made her national team debut on home soil at the world championships. 'I just hope that those little girls that were watching see that it's not just Americans or Canadians that get drafted high or No. 1,' Kaltounkova said. 'It's going to be hopefully motivation to all of them and shows that it is possible.' O'Brien was this season's Patty Kazmaier award winner after leading the nation with 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists) for the NCAA-champion Badgers. In five seasons, the 23-year-old finished with 274 career points in 182 games to break the Wisconsin record held by four-time Olympian Hilary Knight. The trade was but the first of several to be made during the eight-team, six-round draft. Toronto dealt starting goalie Kristen Campbell — last season's PWHL goalie of the year — and their third-round pick (19th overall) to Vancouver. In return, Toronto landed two of Vancouver's picks, which the Sceptres used to select Ohio State forward Kiara Zanon (16th) and Minnesota-Duluth forward Clara Van Wieren (23rd). In landing Shelton, a PWHL defender of the year finalist in 2024, the Sceptres improve a defense that already features Renata Fast. Fast and Shelton are teammates on Canada's national squad and members of the 2022 gold medal-winning team at the Beijing Games. And Daoust wasn't done making over his roster. The Sirens acquired two-way forward Kristin O'Neill and the 28th pick in trading forward Abby Roque to the Montreal Victoire. ___ AP women's hockey: recommended
