Casey O'Brien has dreamed of playing professional hockey since she was little. And that dream started in New York City learning to play in Manhattan at Chelsea Piers.

"It's amazing, I grew up skating in Chelsea Piers," O'Brien said on CBS Mornings. "New York is my roots, it's the rink that built me. So to be able to come back here and give back to the community and try to built the youth game in New York is so special and so important."

O'Brien moved to Boston around age 10, but still considers New York home. After the Sirens selected Kristyna Kaltounkova first overall, and Boston chose Haley Winn second, O'Brien thought the chances of playing in either of her home towns was gone. That was, however, until New York general manager Pascal Daoust pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade sending defender Ella Shelton to the Toronto Sceptres for the third overall pick and 27th overall pick.

With that third choice, New York snagged O'Brien, who led the NCAA in scoring this season and was named the NCAA's top player winning the Patty Kazmaier Award with the University of Wisconsin.

"It's so special, the fact that they traded up for me means even more," said O'Brien following her seelection. 

"I grew up in New York City so it's a little bit like coming home. I've seen how New York can rally behind its sports teams, and so I'm really excited to be a part of that and get to New York and meet the fans and meet my teammates."

Alongside Kaltounkova, PWHL Rookie of the Year Sarah Fillier, a strong defensive corps, and other young players including 2025 draft pick and O'Brien's former Wisconsin linemate Makenna Webster, New York looks like an exciting young team.

After two straight seasons finishing at the bottom of the standings, New York will look to climb up the ranks of the PWHL. If they don't, their team will look even more dynamic following a stacked 2026 draft, but O'Brien, a player used to winning at Wisconsin, should go a long way toward making the New York Sirens a better team on and off the ice.