Meet the New York Sirens’ 2026 Draft Class – The Hockey Writers – PWHL

The third-ever Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Entry Draft has now come and gone. This was a historic draft, as it was the first time PWHL Detroit, PWHL Las Vegas, PWHL Hamilton, and PWHL San Jose participated in the entry draft. This marked the second time the two expansion teams from last season, the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes, competed in an entry draft. 

With 12 teams participating, a historic 72 players were drafted for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Last entry draft, the Sirens traded for extra picks. This time around, they kept everything the same and drafted six players throughout the six different rounds. Let’s look at the players the New York Sirens selected.

Sirens Bolstered Defense First 

With the seventh overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft, the Sirens drafted defender Emma Peschel. This is the first time the Sirens selected a defender from an incoming class of rookies. They did draft Ella Shelton with their first pick, fourth overall, in the 2023 inaugural draft.

The Sirens weren’t able to draft Laila Edwards, since the expansion teams drafted after the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent. PWHL Las Vegas drafted Tessa Jannecke with Detroit’s pick in the trade for Hilary Knight, while PWHL San Jose drafted Edwards fourth overall. Las Vegas selected another forward in Lacey Eden, while PWHL Hamilton took defender Nelli Laitinen. With the Sirens up, they selected Peschel. 

Peschel is a strong defender with two-way skills. She spent all four years of her collegiate career with Ohio State, where she played in 151 games and recorded 108 points via 31 goals and 77 assists. Peschel recorded a career-high 39 points in her senior year in the fewest number of games, with just 34. The honor of captaincy was also given to Peschel in her senior year. 

Peschel has proven that she can both score and defend the blue line throughout her four years at Ohio State. With Allyson Simpson heading to Hamilton, Jaime Bourbonnais is now without a defensive partner. Perhaps if training camp goes well for Peschel, she could find herself on the Sirens’ second defense pairing. 

Sirens Added Offense in Rounds 2-4 

In rounds two through four, the Sirens drafted three forwards. The Sirens lost offensive power in Taylor Girard, Maddi Wheeler, Anne Cherkowski, and Kristin O’Neill in the 2026 Expansion Player Distribution Process. They needed to add more to their forward group, and they managed to do so in the draft. 

The Sirens selected Elisa Holopainen with their second-round pick. The 24-year-old Swedish player has played overseas in Europe for the entirety of her professional career thus far. She most recently played for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) for the last two seasons. Holopainen played in 72 games and recorded 87 points via 51 goals and 36 assists. 

Holopainen’s offensive power will be missed in the SDHL, but it will be a great addition to the Sirens. She has already played professional hockey back in her home country, so hopefully the transition to the PWHL is seamless. 

With their third-round pick, the Sirens selected Carina DiAntonio. The 22-year-old spent her collegiate career playing at Yale University, where she played in 132 games and recorded 130 points. She recorded a career-high 48 points in her senior year. 

DiAntonio has a great hockey IQ, often finding scoring chances for both herself and her teammates. The Sirens will definitely be able to utilize her skills. 

Katelyn Roberts rounds out the forwards as the Sirens’ selection in the fourth round. She made history as the first black woman to be drafted by the Sirens. Roberts spent her collegiate career with Penn State and was even named the assistant captain in her senior year. Throughout her time at Penn State, Roberts played in 152 games and recorded 103 points. She had a career-high 35 points in her junior year. 

Roberts has a great shot and primarily made her points up through assists. Throughout training camp, the Sirens will make sure Roberts homes in on her shot even more. She’s going to be a great addition to New York. 

Sirens Added a Second Defender in Round 5

In the fifth round, the Sirens switched gears and drafted defender Grace Wolfe. Wolfe played collegiate hockey at St. Cloud State University, where she played 121 games and recorded 55 points. Her career-high of 21 points was recorded in her senior year. 

Wolfe has a great eye for blocking shots and also finds scoring chances. The Sirens drafted Dayle Ross in the last draft, who also played at St. Cloud State University throughout her collegiate career. Perhaps the Sirens’ third defensive pairing could be made up of St. Cloud alumni. 

Sirens Rounded Out the Draft with Another Forward in Round 6

With their last pick in the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft, the Sirens selected forward Naomi Boucher. Just like DiAntonio, Boucher played all four years at Yale University. She played in 131 games and recorded 59 points. Her career-high 27 points was recorded in her senior year. 

Boucher is a strong center who is great at eating away minutes. She will be a strong addition to the Sirens’ fourth line as she gets acclimated to the PWHL. 

Sirens Draft Class Was an Interesting Choice 

The Sirens had the option to draft Kristen Simms at seventh overall, but elected to prioritize their defense and draft Emma Peschel instead. Yes, Peschel is a strong player, but a great forward in Simms would have gone a long way, especially with all the players the Sirens have lost to expansion. 

On top of this, the Sirens lost their starting goaltender, Kayle Osborne, to the expansion draft when PWHL Hamilton signed her. The Sirens still have yet to sign their two goaltenders currently on their roster from 2026-27, Callie Shanahan and Kaley Doyle. Even though Shanahan at least has PWHL experience, playing in three games, she is not ready to be a starter just yet. The Sirens didn’t draft a single goaltender throughout the six rounds, which is surprising considering their current goaltender situation. 

The Sirens still added a great group of forwards and defenders with their 2026 PWHL Entry Draft class. Let’s see how these players stack up in training camp and finally, in the regular season.