The New York Sirens are trying to clinch their first postseason berth in franchise history – but they will have to do so without one of their key offensive contributors. Third-year forward Taylor Girard will go on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season, the Sirens announced Wednesday morning.
Midway through the second period of New York’s TakeOver Tour matchup in Denver on Sunday, Girard attempted to deliver a hit on Minnesota Frost forward Britta Curl-Salem. Instead, the toe of his right foot caught the ice awkwardly, causing his knee to buckle. Girard collapsed in pain and immediately grabbed her right knee. He was taken out of the snow on a stretcher.
The Sirens lost to Minnesota 4–3 despite an inspired third period effort. New York has lost six of its last seven games (1-0-2-4) and sits in sixth place overall with 27 points (8-0-3-9) – four behind the PWHL’s final playoff spot.
The more significant loss, however, is that of Girard. The 27-year-old was having the best season of his career, scoring seven goals in 17 games. Kristina Kaltunkova, New York’s No. 1 overall pick in 2025, is the only Siren with more (11). Girard is 10th in league scoring after registering only five goals in 46 games in his first two PWHL seasons.
This marks Girard’s second season-ending knee injury since 2024. As a member of the Boston Fleet, he suffered a serious left knee injury on April 27, 2024, during the final game of the regular season; As a result she missed Boston’s race in Game 5 of the Walter Cup Finals. Girard has yet to appear in a post-season game during his three-year PWHL career.
New York’s troubles have been compounded by an upper-body injury to star rookie center Casey O’Brien. The Sirens listed O’Brien as day-to-day, but he did not travel with the team to Denver for Sunday’s match against Frost.
What’s next for Sirens after Girard’s season-ending injury?
The Sirens include former Scepters forward Claire DeGeorge
New York signed 26-year-old forward Claire DeGeorge to a standard player deal on Wednesday after she was released by the Toronto Raptors. Sceptres and Siren reportedly discussed a trade on Tuesday, but no deal was reached.
With Girard sidelined and O’Brien’s status uncertain, DeGeorge has added much-needed depth to New York’s forward group. The Sirens have no forwards on their reserve roster, leaving them with only 12 active forwards. That includes O’Brien, who remains day-to-day after taking a heavy hit from Ottawa Charge forward Kateryna Mrazova on March 8.
DeGeorge was not added to the active roster. Instead, the Sirens signed reserve defender Nicole Valario to a 10-day standard player deal to fill the open spot. Barring another move, New York will field just 11 forwards on Wednesday against the Vancouver GoldenEyes with O’Brien unavailable.
DeGeorge played a limited role with the Sceptres this season, appearing in 17 games as a fourth-line winger or extra skater. His 2:23 average time on ice (ATOI) ranks second behind any PWHL skater with at least five games played in 2025–26. He scored a season-high 9:57 in Toronto’s 2-0 win over Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
He saw a larger fourth-line role last season with the Montreal Victoire, averaging 8:32 in 26 games. With the 2024 Walter Cup champion Frost, DeGeorge averaged over 10 minutes per game in 23 regular season contests and 10 playoff games.
DeGeorge will never replace Girard’s scoring touch. The Alaska native has not recorded a point yet this season; He has no goals and three assists in 66 career PWHL games. But despite his limited offensive range, DeGeorge is a capable pro-level fourth-liner, with a tall 5-foot-11 frame and the ability to play center.
This gives the Sirens some insurance in their forward group and should not stop general manager Pascal Doust from adding another addition before the PWHL roster freeze on March 31.
Siren can detect SDHL player pool
DeGeorge helps the Sirens’ bottom six, but the move does little to fill the offensive void left by Girard’s injury. If Doust wants to add a more impactful scoring threat, he may have to look abroad.
The Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL) – widely considered the top professional women’s league in Europe – features several former PWHL skaters who will be eligible to sign immediately. As the SDHL playoffs continue, PWHL free agents from eliminated teams become potential targets.
Lulia lost in the semi-finals on Monday. Its roster includes a handful of PWHL talent – most notably former Charge forward Akane Shiga. Shiga scored two goals in 23 games with Ottawa in 2024 and finished seventh in the SDHL with 38 points (12 goals, 26 points) this season.
If SDE is removed before the roster freeze there may be some other interesting names available. SDE trails Frölunda 2-1 in the best-of-five semifinal series, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday.
SDE’s roster includes former Victoire forward Gabrielle David and former Sceptres forward Samantha Cogan. David is second in the SDHL in scoring with 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists); He tallied two goals and six points in 26 PWHL games, most recently appearing in 2024–25. Kogan is fifth in the SDHL with 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) after scoring two goals with Toronto in 2024.
It’s unlikely that any of the above will match Girard’s scoring pace, but true needle-movers are hard to find on the open market at the end of the season. If Doust wants to take the Flyer further, SDHL may be his best option.
Adding a player would require the Sirens to remove someone from their active roster. New York is currently using two of its three reserved roster spots.
Do the Sirens have enough aggression for a playoff push?
In all likelihood, the Lions will need to replace Girard’s scoring inside. Whether they have the scoring depth to do that is another question.
New York’s rookies have largely powered an offense that ranks fifth in the entire league in goals per game. Kaltounkova has a share of the PWHL lead in goals; Overall, first-year skaters scored 23 of New York’s 47 goals.
Star forward Sarah Fillear hasn’t enjoyed the same puck luck in 2025-26 after scoring 13 goals and 29 points in a stellar rookie campaign last season. With 10 games left in the regular season, Fillioner has three goals and a 4.7 shooting percentage.
Girard helped lead the Impact forward from 2024-25, joining Alex Carpenter, AB Roque and Jesse Aldridge – all of whom landed on different teams in the 2025 offseason. But with Girard’s season-ending injury and a banged-up O’Brien, New York is lacking some offensive punch, especially at the bottom of the lineup.
Without increased production from players like Patin Lewis, Kristin O’Neal and Fillioner, New York may find it difficult to keep up with Ottawa’s dangerous attack and surging Sceptres team.
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