Sirens place Kristyna Kaltounkova on long-term injured reserve
As if things weren’t bad enough in New Jersey, the New York Sirens have been forced to make some roster moves ahead of the PWHL’s roster freeze on Tuesday.
The Sirens announced that the team has placed forward Kristyna Kaltounkova on long-term injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. In response, defender Nicole Vallario has been signed to a standard contract.
Kaltounkova hasn’t played since March 18, when the Sirens took on the Vancouver Goldeneyes. In that game, the Czech star took a rather hard hit from Goldeneyes defender Sophie Jaques, which left Kaltounkova down on the ice for a few moments in pain. The rookie finished out the game, registering 22:19 of ice time in a 5-2 loss.
The placement on LTIR is retroactive to March 24, meaning Kaltounkova isn’t eligible to return to the lineup until April 15, when the Sirens host the Toronto Sceptres. That means she’ll miss at least three more games, including this Saturday night when New York faces the Seattle Torrent at Madison Square Garden.
It’s a massive loss for the Sirens. Though the 23-year-old hasn’t posted a point since the Olympic break, she’s one of the team’s important offensive catalysts. At one point, it looked like last year’s first-overall pick wasn’t just a favorite to win rookie of the year, but also be in the running for PWHL MVP.
In 21 games, Kaltounkova has scored 11 goals and 12 points, sitting third on the team in scoring and third in the PWHL in goals.
This is the third time Vallario has been activated to the main roster this season. She signed a 10-day contract earlier this month after forward Taylor Girard was shut down for the season after injuring her knee, landing her on LTIR. The Swiss Olympian has notched a goal and an assist in four appearances this season.
Also, before the roster freeze on Tuesday, the Sirens added forwards Sarah Bujold and Kira Juodikis to their reserve lists. Bujold played with Montreal during the league’s inaugural season, scoring four points in 21 games. She has spent the past two years with Luleå HF in the SDHL. Juodikis was invited to New York’s training camp back in the fall, but didn’t make the roster. The former New Hampshire Wildcat played for the ZSC Lions Frauen in the SWHL A in Switzerland.
The Sirens (8-0-3-12) sit sixth in the PWHL, six points back of the Ottawa Charge for the fourth and final playoff spot.