The New York Sirens tied for the most players lost in expansion, and to add insult to injury, at the end of it all, the league dropped them from the top of round tone to the bottom in draft order. There's a lot to unpack for Sirens fans.
With the seventh pick in the 2026 PWHL draft, the New York Sirens select...
Those words coming from the podium at The Fox Theatre in Detroit on Wednesday (June 17) will seem surreal after draft order shockwaves rocked an organization that finished in sixth place, adhered to a Gold Plan that left them rightfully securing a No. 3 pick, and then on Monday evening the hopes and dreams of selecting either Laila Edwards or Abbey Murphy were dashed in mind-boggling fashion.
For inexplicable reasons and the outcome of which has rightfully left the Sirens' fan base enraged, a New York team that has not made the playoffs for three straight years -- and was building something very positive both in the locker room and in the stands -- was dropped all the way down in the first round to the No. 7 pick behind four expansion teams.
At this point, it's understandably extremely hard for the New York faithful to care less about the draft in view of the current morale and very negative feelings that are not likely to diminish so close to the draft.
While it's depressing but understandable to see all the negative posts on social media, let's try if possible to regroup and focus on the possibilities now that the No. 3 pick is unfortunately history.
The obvious selection -- and she might not be available which would add salt to the wound -- is Lacey Eden, a four-time national champion (2021, '23, '25 and '26) with the University of Wisconsin. Eden finished her senior season as the top scorer in NCAA hockey. The Annapolis, Maryland native was sensational in that final year for the Badgers with 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points. She is a 200-foot player who not only lit up the scoreboard offensively but also blocked 34 shots in her collegiate swan song.
Remarkably, in her last three seasons at Wisconsin, Eden lit the lamp 80 times and assisted on 110 other goals. She is not afraid to battle for the puck in traffic around the crease.
If Eden is off the board, Sirens' General Manager Pascal Daoust -- who has gained a reputation over the years as a master draftsman -- can go in a couple of directions. He can tap tenacious Ohio State University defender Emma Peschel or Princeton center/forward Issy Wunder, one of the top-10 finalists for this year's Patty Kazmaier Award. Both Peschel and Wunder have great vision in all three zones and are always in attack mode and capable of being strong in transition.
And while any one of these three might seem like a consolation prize to upset New York fans, there is a measure of intrigue in seeing how everything shakes out as an exceptional draft class awaits their names being called on Wednesday.
While the focus is on the first round, the latter rounds hold even more mystery as the Sirens consider all options from offensive upgrades to blueline solidifiers to a starting goalie. One thing is certain; never underestimate Daoust and his ability to create shockwaves of his own on draft night.
The newest Sirens will join a standout trio of prior first-round picks -- Sarah Fillier (No. 1/2024); and Kristýna Kaltounková and Casey O'Brien (Nos. 1 and 3 respectively/2025) -- who were protected by Daoust in Phase 1 of this year's expansion process. Then, last Friday, New York retained its defensive nucleus by locking up Jaime Bourbonnais, Maja Nylén Persson and team captain Micah Zandee-Hart.
With the now certain roster restructuring -- a task guaranteed after New York lost six players to expansion teams -- Daoust clearly has multiple scenarios to contemplate as he and Head Coach Greg Fargo prepare to select from a generational group of players who will impact the PWHL for years to come.
Saying Their Goodbyes To The Big Apple
While there will be plenty of draft-day excitement on Wednesday, that adrenaline rush will be welcomed by New York fans after a very tough week or so of player losses to the expansion teams.
It all started with the anticipated departure of goalie Kayle Osborne, followed by the likewise significant exits of Anne Cherkowski, Taylor Girard, Kristen O'Neill and Maddi Wheeler heading into the weekend. Then, to add insult to injury, defender Allyson Simpson became the sixth erasure from the Sirens' roster on Sunday.
Girard and O'Neill were on expiring contracts and therefore were considered unrestricted free agents. The other four represented the maximum number of contracted/RFA players any one team could lose via the expansion process. The loss of Osborne, while not unexpected and widely rumored, is still tough considering her dependability between the posts and her knack for serving as almost a fourth defender outside the crease.
In her 27 starts with the Sirens, she stopped 628 of 693 shots and recorded four shutouts. The Colgate University grad and a silver medalist with Team Canada leaves for PWHL Hamilton having achieved a 0.906 save percentage over the 2025-26 campaign.
Among New York's skaters, Cherkowski, Girard, O'Neill, Wheeler and Simpson combined for 37 points (19 goals/18 assists) this past season. The departures are even more glaring in terms of their ability to excel in the trenches. As a group, these five joined forces to total 134 hits and103 blocked shots.
On a brighter note, when the dust settled the Sirens were able to retain Paetyn Levis, Elle Hartje, Emmy Fecteau, Anna Bargman, Dayle Ross, Callie Shanahan and Kaley Doyle. All others still intact on the 2025-26 roster are unrestricted free agents.
Season Ticket Priority Access With A Twist
For subscribers (free to join) to the Sirens' newsletter, priority access to season tickets for the 2026-27 home campaign at The Prudential Center starts tomorrow (Tuesday, June 16).
Fans will receive an email notifying them of the procedure to follow. Ticket memberships start at $26.50 per game and there will be 50/50 and eight-month instalment plans.
Interestingly, the initial email on Friday, July 12 includes a seating chart and cost schedule based on a 15-game home season in Newark. With the addition of the four expansion squads, the 12-team PWHL is still weighing its options not only on the number of games but also alignment (divisions/conferences).
One would imagine the Sirens are using the chart/pricing as a basic framework in terms of the 2025-26 season schedule. Considering Takeover Tour "home" games and the strong possibility of another showcase at Madison Square Garden, this could be a "subject to change" type of situation.
Of particular note, the 2026-27 seating chart at The Rock includes the entire and not half of the lower level -- a promising sign following a significant increase in attendance as last season progressed.