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The New York Sirens and Vancouver Goldeneyes each have an opportunity to not solely shut out 2025 on a profitable word, but additionally begin the following calendar yr with out a share of the PWHL’s basement.
New York and Vancouver are locked in a three-way tie with Ottawa for final place within the league, however both the Sirens or Goldeneyes will kick off 2026 in higher standing after their matchup on Wednesday afternoon at New York’s residence barn, Prudential Center (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT puck drop on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+).
For the Sirens, a win would mark a two-game streak after they picked up their third W of the season earlier this week, a 4-3 victory over Seattle at a PWHL Takeover Tour cease in Dallas in entrance of greater than 8,500 followers.
The Sirens are a younger group trying to crack the playoffs for the primary time in franchise historical past, and first-overall decide Kristyna Kaltounkova — whose three objectives tie her for second on the Sirens roster via eight video games — is a giant consider these efforts.
We caught up with the 23-year-old ahead from Czechia, who’s recognized to teammates as “Kalty,” to speak about making an attempt to carry a profitable season to New York, the upcoming Olympics, and what it means to be the PWHL’s first-ever No. 1 decide from outdoors of North America.
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This Is Our Game
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This Is Our Game
Sportsnet: What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?
Kristyna Kaltouknova: We have a giant sport stretch, so I believe I’m simply going to attempt to get well as a lot as I can, name my household — you realize, simply see what’s on the agenda. But I don’t have something particular deliberate fairly but.
Maybe have a good time a victory?
Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping for. But I don’t wish to jinx it…
Fair. What’s the ambiance like if you play on the Prudential Center?
The followers are superior. I really like interacting with them. I really like seeing them. Every time I step on the ice, even only for warm-ups, I really feel their power and it form of fuels all of us to prepare for puck drop. And it’s simply so enjoyable throwing them pucks, seeing what indicators they bring about, what sweet they bring about that day. They’ve been wonderful. Hearing the “wee-woos!” fairly loud all through the sport, it will get us going.
Some of them do. They wish to alternate sweet for a puck.
What’s the very best sweet they may carry you?
Blue or pink Sour Patch Kids.
Excellent selection. What are you anticipating out of Vancouver? [The teams are 1-1 in head-to-head matchups this season.]
We’re anticipating a bodily, quick-paced sport. The final video games we performed in opposition to them have been robust battles, so simply ensuring that we give attention to our particulars, play our sport, but additionally bear in mind what facets of their sport we bought to look out for.
What is New York’s sport as you’ve seen it to this point this season?
We wish to play quick, we wish to play bodily and we wish to be sure that we get to the web, as a result of we’ve not been scoring as a lot as we’d most likely wish to. It’s simply [a matter of] time that it begins to go in, however what’s going to assist us is attending to the web, extra stopping on the web and simply form of proudly owning that space.
You scored your first PWHL purpose in opposition to Vancouver. How particular was that?
I simply form of hunted a puck out of a little bit scrum in entrance of the web and truthfully simply went for it, shot it — I did not suppose [there was] a lot there, however my teammates did such an incredible job getting that puck to the web in entrance, so credit score goes to them. I used to be in the fitting place on the proper time. It felt nice, put one in, helped the group. And my household was right here, in order that was actually superior to attain in entrance of them, particularly my first one… They have been actually proud. They have been blissful that they bought to be there for it.
Did you get to maintain the puck?
I did, yeah. It’s in my condominium, on a shelf.
Your final sport in opposition to Seattle, there was a giant hit in your teammate Sarah Fillier out of your nationwide group captain, Aneta Tejralova [who was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct]. What did you consider the hit?
It’s hockey, the PWHL is bodily, however I undoubtedly do not wish to see my teammate getting hit like that and being put in a scenario the place she may probably get injured. So, undoubtedly did not really feel nice for our group. We defended her instantly. But that is hockey.
You’re a bodily participant your self — how have you ever discovered the physicality within the league to this point?
I used to be discovering the stability a little bit bit, taking a pair penalties — you by no means wish to put your group at a drawback, however I additionally suppose physicality is such a giant a part of my sport that after I take it away, it impacts my sport and the impression I carry to the group rather a lot. So, discovering that stability is essential, and I believe I’ve finished that.
How lengthy did it take you to search out that stability?
I’m new to the league, and we now have had a handful of video games now, so I’d say just a few video games.
Is the league bodily sufficient for you or would you favor extra?
Well, I believe it simply must be the identical for everybody. There must be a little bit little bit of consistency with what the refereeing is. I’d simply say that.
Do you imply sport to sport, or second to second?
How did you discover transitioning into the league from school? Were you comfy instantly?
We have an incredible management group and plenty of rookies, so everybody form of helped me really feel my finest right here and simply form of discover my function, too, and settle into a brand new group. I used to be so supported by my teammates and that made it quite a bit simpler.
How has it been discovering early chemistry? Does it really feel like this season could possibly be totally different for New York?
It takes a little bit of time. We’re a younger group, we now have plenty of rookies, and so a few of us have by no means performed collectively. There are groups throughout the league which have had set traces for the final two seasons, in order that undoubtedly performs a distinction. And you realize, discovering chemistry just isn’t essentially dangerous — you’re all the time discovering chemistry, even you probably have performed collectively for some time, as a result of you may all the time fine-tune totally different particulars in your sport.
Has that gotten simpler because the season progresses?
Absolutely. I’m all the time paired with such clever gamers who’re very expert, and in order that makes it quite a bit simpler.
What does it imply to you to be the primary ever No. 1 decide within the PWHL from Czechia?
It means quite a bit as a result of I’m representing my nation, myself and my household, and so it simply seems like an honour to have the ability to signify in that method and, form of, carry one other Czech participant to the PWHL. I believe any illustration is sweet.
How does New York evaluate to your hometown? [Kaltounkova hails from Vlasim, about an hour south of Prague.]
Oh, there’s plenty of variations. My hometown is de facto small. And even my school city was actually small, in order that was an adjustment. But I believe it took me a brief period of time to regulate, in order that was good.
How are you liking the tempo of New York?
It’s good — I prefer it. When my household and buddies come, we simply get on a practice and take a 20-minute trip all the way down to the town. It’s fairly candy to be in that proximity, but additionally not proper within the metropolis.
The Olympics are developing quick. How a lot do you look ahead to what could be your first Winter Games?
I’m hoping that I’ll be lucky sufficient to make the group after which I’ll get to go. If I do, then I’m tremendous excited. Being capable of signify my nation, put on that jersey and representing on such a giant world stage goes to be very thrilling.
Do you suppose taking part in within the final world championships at residence helped put together you for an expertise like that?
Well, I believe that is very totally different — the Olympics is probably the most you will get out of your sports activities profession, I’d say. So, it is totally different in that sense, however I undoubtedly felt good to be residence at worlds and now going to Italy, once more tremendous near residence. But the world stage is aggressive, it is robust. So, in that sense it ready me, however I’d say the Olympics are just some steps much more intense.
When did you first begin dreaming of competing on the Olympics?
I believe ever since I used to be a little bit child and began taking part in hockey, I dreamed of taking part in within the NHL and going to the Olympics.
Yeah — I’m blissful to have made it to the ladies’s model of that.
Does it really feel like your nationwide group could be a actual contender? [Czechia placed fourth at the last two women’s world championships.]
Yeah, we now have been engaged on totally different particulars all through the time we now have had collectively. So undoubtedly, all of the items are coming collectively. We had a robust displaying in Finland just a few weeks in the past.
The Czech group is fairly bodily. Could that disrupt the all-North American ultimate everybody’s used to seeing?
Yeah, however you realize, they’re used to the physicality from the PWHL, so I would not count on them to be caught tremendous off-guard. But it undoubtedly annoys them from what I may inform at worlds.… Anything to get underneath their pores and skin and of their head is useful.
What do you concentrate on the power Carla [MacLeod] has proven since she introduced her analysis? [MacLeod, head coach of the Ottawa Charge and the Czech national team, announced in late November that she’s fighting breast cancer.]
Carla is a superb particular person, an incredible coach. We’re actually fortunate to have her. She’s an incredible assist that we now have on the bench and outdoors of the rink, too. She has proven nice power with the adversity that has hit her life. That simply serves as a motivation to all of us, I’d say.
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