Lou Orlando
After a stellar rookie campaign, New York Sirens center Casey O’Brien has the chance to add another feather to her cap.
O’Brien was named one of the three finalists for PWHL Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, joining defenders Haley Winn and Nicole Gosling. The 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner led all rookies with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 28 games and shattered the PWHL rookie record for faceoff wins with 266.
Kristyna Kaltounkova, New York’s No. 1 overall pick in 2025, appeared well on her way to Rookie of the Year consideration after entering the Olympic break as the League’s leading goal scorer. Instead, a knee injury sidelined her for the final nine games of the season, effectively taking her out of the running. Kaltounkova still paced all rookies with 11 goals in 21 games, but it wasn’t enough to earn a finalist nod in a deep 2026 rookie class.
O’Brien was the lone Sirens player named a finalist for one of the League’s five major individual awards in 2025-26.
Of course, awards season is merely the tip of the iceberg. The preliminary stage of PWHL expansion is already underway, with things kicking into high gear next week. Phase 1 officially begins June 2, launching a hectic three-week stretch that includes player dispersal, the 2026 PWHL Draft, and an open signing period beginning June 19.
Let’s dive into the biggest headlines of the week as the Sirens brace for a pivotal offseason.
Evaluating Casey O’Brien’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ chances
History — however brief — favors O’Brien in the Rookie of the Year race. In each of the League’s first two seasons, the award went to the rookie scoring leader.
Minnesota Frost forward Grace Zumwinkle won the League’s first Rookie of the Year award, matching Emma Maltais with 19 points and leading all rookies with 11 goals in 24 games. Sirens star Sarah Fillier captured it the following season, when she tied Hilary Knight for the League lead in scoring with 29 points and paced rookies with 13 goals.
O’Brien’s final offensive line isn’t quite as dominant, notably in the goal-scoring department. The 24-year-old finished four back of Kaltounkova with seven goals — tied for second among first-year players with Abby Newhook and Sarah Wozniewicz. But there’s more to it than simply point production.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better season by a rookie center in the PWHL’s three-year history. O’Brien showcased elite playmaking and vision, and proved more than capable in a top-line role, leading all rookie forwards with an average time-on-ice (ATOI) of 20:37. Fillier was the only Sirens forward to see more ice time, narrowly edging her linemate with an ATOI of 20:40.
O’Brien excelled in the faceoff dot, a rarity for a first-year player. Her 53.6 percent win rate ranked 11th-best Leaguewide (minimum 100 faceoffs). She took as many draws in 2025-26 as teammate Kristin O’Neill, whose faceoff proficiency helped land her a spot on Canada’s 2026 Olympic team.
Still, it’s hard to shake the sense that O’Brien is the underdog in this three-horse race.
Winn, taken one spot ahead of O’Brien in the 2025 PWHL Draft, led all PWHL skaters — rookies and veterans — with an ATOI of 26:45, forming an elite pair with Boston Fleet captain Megan Keller. Nicole Gosling, meanwhile, posted a plus-16 rating and a team-high ATOI of 21:17 on the No. 1-seeded Montreal Victoire. Winn and Gosling each recorded 19 points in 30 games, the most ever by a rookie defender in PWHL history.
In a race this tight, it’s worth wondering how much team success could sway the outcome. O’Brien was the top-line center on a Sirens team that finished seventh, eight points out of a playoff berth. Montreal and Boston finished the season tied for first with 62 points, anchored on the blue line by Gosling and Winn, respectively.
O’Brien more than lived up to the billing of a No. 3 overall pick, but beating out Gosling and Winn is going to be a tall task.
Sirens assistant named head coach of PWHL Detroit
The Sirens are guaranteed to lose some key pieces in expansion this offseason. Evidently, that extends to the coaching staff as well.
PWHL Detroit named Josh Sciba its first head coach, general manager Manon Rhéaume announced Thursday. The Michigan native returns home after spending the past two seasons in New York as an assistant under head coach Greg Fargo.
Sciba played a prominent role in shaping New York’s game plan, notably running a power play that ranked second-best in the League in 2024-25. The Sirens’ power play struggled to replicate that production in 2025-26, but Sciba’s role remains an important one to replace.
A member of the Team USA coaching staff since 2022, Sciba earned praise from coach John Wroblewski for his work with the Olympic team’s systems. That familiarity with USA talent is an immediate advantage for Detroit, as is Sciba’s knowledge of New York’s personnel.
The Sirens roster features four Michigan natives: forwards Elle Hartje and Taylor Girard, along with backup goalies Callie Shanahan and Kaley Doyle. That could become relevant if PWHL Detroit continues to lean into Michigan roots.
Takeaways after PWHLPA publicly discloses player salaries
The Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association (PWHLPA) voted to publicly disclose player salaries Tuesday, adding a comprehensive salary guide featuring 194 players to their website (not including bonuses and incentives).
Fillier earned $125,000 in 2025-26 in the first year of a frontloaded two-year extension, trailing only Ottawa Charge forward Emily Clark ($126,090) for the League’s highest salary. Kaltounkova carried the most expensive rookie contract, with a $90,500 cap hit after signing a three-year deal.
Unlike other leagues, the PWHL does not operate with a standard salary cap. Instead, teams must meet a specified average salary within a 10 percent variance. That figure was $58,349.50 in 2025-26, and will rise to $60,099.99 in 2026-27.
The Sirens have upwards of $700,000 in expiring contracts coming off the books, along with a portion of Abby Roque’s salary that New York retained in a trade with the Montreal Victoire. Fillier will make $110,000 in 2026-27, per Ian Kennedy, freeing up an additional $15,000 for the Sirens this offseason.
That should come in handy. O’Brien enters the summer as a restricted free agent (RFA) and should command a sizable pay raise, perhaps comparable to the deal Kaltounkova struck in September. The rookie center is a prime candidate to be protected during Phase 1 of the expansion process, especially after both parties expressed mutual interest in an extension at exit day interviews.
In terms of expansion, salary could heavily influence which players switch teams. Projections are difficult without precise 2026-27 salary data, but the Sirens have several players who could be poached by expansion teams looking to make a splash.
Rookie forward Anne Cherkowski ($52,000) and second-year defender Maja Nylen Persson ($54,000) are two players likely to draw interest — and more money — if left unprotected. The same applies to a pending RFA like Maddi Wheeler, who made $39,500 during her rookie campaign.
Kayle Osborne is another name worth monitoring. New York’s starting goalie was one of the League’s best bargains in 2025-26, carrying a $39,000 cap hit on a three-year contract signed ahead of her rookie campaign. Initially projected as a backup to Corinne Schroeder in 2024-25, Osborne started 27 of 30 games last season and ranked third in minutes played. She signed a one-year extension in November 2025, but it won’t take effect until 2027-28, keeping the 24-year-old on her rookie contract next season. Don’t be surprised if an expansion team tries to lure her away with a more lucrative deal.
