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Why Sirens ‘in good hands’ after rounding out leadership group
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- Why Sirens ‘in good hands’ after rounding out leadership group
Why Sirens ‘in good hands’ after rounding out leadership group
The New York Sirens named Sarah Fillier and Jamie Bourbonnais alternate captains for the 2025-26 PWHL season on Saturday, rounding out the official leadership group with third-year captain Micah Zandee-Hart.
Veterans Alex Carpenter and Ella Shelton previously served as New York's alternate captains through the franchise's first two seasons. But Carpenter was left unprotected in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft and signed with the expansion Seattle Torrent in an exclusive free agency period; Shelton was traded to the Toronto Sceptres inexchange for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft.
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It was all part of a major offseason overhaul by the Sirens, after they finished last in the League the past two seasons. It also left a void in New York's letter-wearing leadership group, now filled by Fillier and Bourbonnais.
"Choosing our two assistant captains is a powerful moment for our organization," Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust said in a statement. "It's when a team identifies the people who will amplify our message, set our direction, and carry the one voice — the one song — we choose to live by every single day. There is absolutely no doubt that Sarah and Jaime are exceptional ambassadors of those values."
Fillier — drafted No. 1 overall by the Sirens in 2024 — is fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign, setting a PWHL rookie record with 29 points, which tied Hilary Knight, then of the Boston Fleet, for the League lead. The 25-year-old forward, who helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, is widely considered to be one of the best women's players in the world and reportedly is the highest-paid player in the PWHL after signing a two-year contract this past offseason.
Bourbonnais has been a staple on New York's blue line since the franchise's inaugural season. Like Fillier, the 27-year-old defenseman has an impressive international resume, helping Canada win numerous World Championship medals.
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"I couldn't be more excited for them to have letters on their jerseys," Zandee-Hart said. "These two could easily be wearing the 'C' instead of an 'A' on any team, so for me to have the privilege of leading alongside them elevates our group. We are in good hands with them at the helm."
Sirens GM believes they have 'great leaders' beyond three captains
Casey O' Brien photo courtesy PWHL
Daoust and coach Greg Fargo emphasized at the start of training camp that the Sirens have a deep leadership group, one that extends beyond those players wearing letters on their sweaters.
"We have great leaders in that room," Daoust stated. "We already started a large leadership group with more than the three captains. We have more than this to participate in our leadership committee, so that's how we want to build. It's not just to isolate one or two or three leaders — it's to maximize what we have in the room."
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That even extends to the rookies. The Sirens brought in an exciting influx of young talent in the 2025 PWHL Draft, headlined by No. 1 overall pick Kristyna Kaltounkova , and Casey O'Brien , the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner as the top women's player in college hockey, who was selected third overall . Daoust expects them to play a major role in molding the team's identity.
"You don't need to be the lead singer to be a leader," Daoust explained. "The young players — they can bring a different leadership. I like to hear other voices, other ideas, other angles. It can either challenge you to make a different decision, or it can also comfort you to say, 'no, this is still a good decision.'"
"The minute you think that you know everything, or the minute that you feel that you only have one leader, you're in trouble.
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