While the PWHL playoffs continue, all the New York Sirens can do is wait, watch, and tentatively plan for the uncertainties that will come with expansion.
For the first time in the organization's history however, their staff will be able to put all of their attention into hockey. Ahead of the inaugural season, New York's staff was by far the last to be secured. The other five PWHL teams had general managers in place working on their staffs and rosters prior to New York general manager Pascal Daoust being hired.
New York also had the most venue uncertainty in year one, playing home games in Bridgeport, Connecticut; Long Island, New York; and Newark, New Jersey. This year, the team isn't going anywhere as they'll return to the Prudential Center in New Jersey again in year three.
"We have a great window of time," Daoust said in year end media availability. "For the first time we're going to have the next five months to work together. Not moving, not building, not doing any renovation, just thinking hockey and building the best set up and the best organization we can."
Focus On The Draft
According to Daoust, his organization will again put their focus on the PWHL Draft. Daoust stated is something his club wants to "invest" in. Last season, New York also selected first overall, picking superstar Sarah Fillier.
This season, New York will have the chance to pick from players including Kristyna Kaltounkova, Haley Winn, and Casey O'Brien. Secondary scoring was a topic Daoust and head coach Greg Fargo identified as an issue this season for the Sirens. It makes sense then, that the Sirens will look to select a forward, pushing their scoring deeper into their roster.
The connection between Fargo and Kaltounkova, who played with Fargo as her coach for four seasons at Colgate University is logical, and Kaltounkova is a prototypical PWHL player combining two-way acumen, elite goalscoring, and a physical edge.
Daoust spoke of his team's draft success from both 2023 and 2024 in bringing the most contracted players into the league of any club. Their selections include a large part of the current New York Sirens roster, as well as a handful of players, like Montreal Victoire centre Alexandra Labelle, and Toronto Sceptres winger Emma Woods, who moved on in free agency and are now making impacts on the top two teams in the league.
Still Work To Do In Their Market
A winning team on the ice would certainly help build the New York Sirens' fan base at the Prudential Center. This season in 13 home games, the Sirens averaged 2,764 fans. It's a slight increase from their 12 game increase from season one of 2,496 fans. But it's not the type of increase the team or league needs.
It was clear, even in the end of year press conference, where none of New York or New Jersey's major media outlets attended to provide coverage for the team. Instead, the media in attendance was largely Canadian, women's sports websites, and national hockey specific outlets. The lack of local media support and coverage is undoubtedly hindering growth. The league itself hasn't sunk much into marketing the Sirens, which could change heading into year three with a stable venue in place.
Sharing their rink with the NHL's New Jersey Devils forces New York into some odd times and dates for games, but the Devils have drawn well, including filling the Prudential Center to 97.7% capacity this season averaging 16,154 fans.
Professional women's sports in the market however, are trending up. The NWSL's Gotham FC who also play in New Jersey, have watched their average attendance grow from levels similar to the Sirens prior to the pandemic to 3,793 in 2021, 4,415 in 2022, 6,293 in 2023, and to an all-time high of 8,550 in 2024. The WNBA's New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun have seen similar growth in those periods with the Sun drawing a record average attendance of 9,807 last season, and the New York Liberty skyrocketing from 1,874 in 2021, to an average of 12,729 in 2024.
But fans need to know the Sirens are there, and they need to know the names and faces of players. It's something the league and team must focus on in marketing the Sirens.
What will offseason uncertainty bring the New York Sirens?
The New York Sirens have more players under contract ahead of next season than any other PWHL team. It's good and bad news for the franchise as they attempt to re-shape their roster into a winner. Expansion will certainly strip the Sirens of a few contracted players, but with more free agents set to hit the market, it could benefit the Sirens as they look to build from the edges. Re-signing Sarah Fillier for more than a single season will be a priority, but the sure-to-be unanimous Rookie of the Year will want a significant pay bump.
New York will also likely lose one member of their blueline core. It's considered a strength for the Sirens, who feature a blueline including players like Micah Zandee-Hart, Jaime Bourbonnais, Maja Nylen Persson, Ella Shelton, and Ally Simpson. It's almost certain that one of those defenders will be targeted by an expansion team.
New York's secondary scoring never came together. It doesn't mean they didn't have the talent, it simply means that the Sirens couldn't find chemistry, or fit certain players into their system. It would not be surprising to see a handful of Sirens players land elsewhere next season and thrive. Aside from Fillier, Alex Carpenter, Jessie Eldridge, and Abby Roque however, the Sirens had little to no consistent scoring from their forwards. If New York can address anything at the draft, taking as many shots at high skill players, even if they are high risk high reward picks, is a must.
The New York Sirens were handed a deck stacked against them coming into the league with a late start for their organization. They dealt with it again after season one moving their team to a different state, not to mention changing head coaches after the experiment with Howie Draper at the helm went down in flames in year one. This year, the Sirens enter the offseason with more high end talent, more stability, and more certainties both on and off the ice. With roots planted, it's time for the Sirens to grow.