Meet the New York Sirens’ 2025 Draft Class

Kaltounkova is a strong player who gets in the middle of plays. She was an alternate captain for her college team, so she has experience in a leadership role as well. She also now holds the record at Colgate with the most goals scored. Kaltounkova will look to make a difference for the Sirens from day one. 

The Sirens were already making waves with their first pick, but they decided to make even more in the first round. Right as Toronto was on the clock, the PWHL announced the Sirens were trading defender Ella Shelton to the Sceptres in exchange for Toronto’s first-round pick and their fourth-round pick. Shelton made history as the first player to score a goal on Jan. 1, 2024, against PWHL Toronto in the first-ever PWHL game. In Shelton’s two seasons with New York, she played 48 games, scoring 15 goals and recording 22 assists. With the absence of Shelton now on New York’s blue line, the Sirens were already back on the clock. 

With their newly acquired third overall pick, the Sirens selected forward Casey O’Brien. A New York native, O’Brien spent the past five years playing for the University of Wisconsin. In the four years before this, she played 141 games and recorded 186 points. In her third year at the University of Wisconsin, she donned the “A” as well. In the 2024-25 season, she recorded 88 points via 26 goals and 62 assists. 

With the Sirens selecting Kaltounkova and O’Brien, the two are very clear playmakers. While these two players will both be rookies, there is a chance one or both of them could play with Fillier. If this is the case, the Sirens will have a strong offensive line. 

Sirens Sign Two More Forwards in Rounds 2 and 3

The Sirens had to go through five more picks before they were up on the board again. With their second overall pick, the Sirens selected forward Anne Cherkowski. The Canadian-born forward began her NCAA career with the University of Minnesota, where she recorded six points in 13 games. In the 2021-22 season, she transferred to Clarkson University. She spent the last four years there, where she played 155 games and recorded 141 points. Another great forward with playmaking skills to add to the Sirens’ roster, Cherkowski is sure to make an impact on the team.

In the third round, the Sirens selected yet another forward in Makenna Webster. Another player who played for two schools, Webster began her NCAA career at the University of Wisconsin. She played 59 games and recorded 66 points in her two years there. Before the 2022-23 season, she transferred to Ohio State University where she played for her final three years. She played 92 games for Ohio State and recorded an even 100 points. During the 2024-25 season, she also wore the “A” to signify that she was an alternate captain. 

Sirens Add Three Players in Round 4 

With the first pick in the fourth round, the Sirens took their first defender of the night, Dayle Ross. The Canadian-born defender played at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud Michigan for the past four years. She played 142 games and recorded 40 points via seven goals and 33 assists. While Ross doesn’t have the best offensive track record, she excels at stopping the opposing team from making plays. 

The Sirens were not done in the fourth round, though. As a part of the Shelton trade, New York also received Toronto’s selection in this round. The Sirens selected yet another forward, Maddi Wheeler. She spent the first four years of her NCAA career at the University of Wisconsin. There, she played 136 games and recorded 82 points. Wheeler played for Ohio State during the last year of her collegiate career. In her final NCAA season, she played 40 games, scoring seven goals and recording 14 assists for a total of 21 points. 

The first-round trade was not the only one up the Sirens’ sleeve this draft night. Right as Montreal was on the clock, the PWHL announced another trade. The Sirens traded forward Abby Roque to the Montreal Victoire in exchange for forward Kristin O’Neill and Montreal’s fourth-round draft pick. The Sirens were back on the clock. 

With their third selection in the fourth round, the Sirens selected their first goaltender of the night, Callie Shanahan. She played her collegiate career at Boston University for the past four years. In the 2024-25 season, Shanahan even became an alternate captain, which is not something you often see for a goaltender. In her last season, she played 30 games and recorded a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.81 and a save percentage (SV%) of .924. With a record of 18-9-2, the Sirens made a good call in trading up for another goaltender. 

Sirens Bolster Offense With Another Forward in Round 5

The Sirens selected yet another forward in the fifth round in Anna Bargman. She played her four years of college at Yale University and earned the “C” on her chest in her final year. Bargman played 133 games and recorded 100 points. Once again, she is a forward who is not afraid to make plays. After the Sirens scored the lowest amount of goals last season with 71, these five incoming forwards are going to look to make an impact from the beginning. 

Sirens Round Out the Draft with Another Goalie in Round 6

With their final pick of the 2025 PWHL Draft, the Sirens selected another goaltender, Kaley Doyle. She played her first three years at Brown University but finished her collegiate career at Quinnipiac University in 2024-25. During this season, Doyle played in 28 games and recorded a SV% of .945 and a GAA of 1.29. These were her best stats throughout her career. Her final record for the season was 15-10-3, again recording the most wins during her time in college. 

Sirens Had the Largest 2025 Entry Draft Class

With eight players selected, the Sirens are trying to build a great class of rookies. The Sirens selected five forwards, one defender, and two goaltenders to round out their 2025 Draft class. They did this not only to acquire great players they believed would fit with the team, but they also needed to add players to the roster after losing many during the expansion draft and free agency.

The PWHL signing window opened on Monday, June 16, but it is currently paused. It will reopen on Tuesday, July 8.