Sirens sign first-round pick Casey O’Brien to one-year contract
Better late than never.
On Tuesday, the New York Sirens announced that the team has signed forward Casey O’Brien to a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season.
O’Brien was the second first-round selection taken by the Sirens in this year’s PWHL Draft. The 24-year-old was picked third overall, not long after New York nabbed Kristýna Kaltounková with the No. 1 pick.
“I’m excited to officially be a part of the team and to be able to focus on what’s most important, hockey,” O’Brien said in a release. “Our youth, speed and skill should translate into an exciting brand of hockey. As our on and off ice chemistry develops, we’re going to be a tough team to beat.”
O’Brien comes to the pro ranks after a successful career at the University of Wisconsin. She posted 50 or more points in three of her five seasons as a Badger, including leading the nation in scoring in 2024-25, registering 88 points in 41 games. The Milton, Mass. native won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in women’s college hockey, helping Wisconsin win a record eighth NCAA Championship.
In her time in Madison, O’Brien helped the Badgers win three national championships and three WCHA Championships. In 182 games, she scored 97 goals and 177 assists for 274 points, leaving as the program’s most prolific scorer.
O’Brien impressed many during training camp. Playing on a line with reigning Rookie of the Year Sarah Fillier and rookie Anne Cherkowski, O’Brien registered three assists in the Sirens’ second preseason game against the Minnesota Frost last Friday.
Internationally, O’Brien has played for the United States on multiple occasions, making her senior national team debut during the 2023-24 Rivalry Series. She also helped the U.S. win gold at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, taking home the silver medal the following year.
O’Brien is part of a young, talented core in New York that hopes to turn things around after finishing last in the first two seasons of the PWHL. The Sirens open the new season on Saturday when they visit the Ottawa Charge.