Nylén Persson's Extension Signals a Big Year in New York

In what now feels like forever ago as we impatiently wait for more PWHL hockey, the New York Sirens took on the Toronto Sceptres in the second edition of the Battle on Bay Street. Despite Scotiabank Arena buzzing after a late second period go-ahead goal, Abby Roque and Jessie Eldridge would convert a two-on-one just over a minute into the third to quiet the sold-out crowd of over 19,000. A secondary assist was also awarded on the goal, yet you wouldn’t know just from watching the highlight. In fact, the recipient, Maja Nylén Persson, does not appear in frame even once.

The scoring play materializes from the Sceptres dumping the puck into the Sirens’ zone, with Alex Carpenter being the one to retrieve it. Recognizing that there’s a forward back and her opponents are on a partial line change, Nylén Persson breaks for the right-side boards to provide an option for a quick out. This forces opposing defender Allie Munroe to pinch down to try to break the play up, but Nylén Persson taps it through Munroe’s legs and right on the tape of a streaking Eldridge. The puck is in the back of the net not five seconds later.

This play, to me, is perfectly representative of what Nylén Persson brings to New York. While not always receiving the credit it deserves, her solid positional play, a result of strong situational awareness and quick decision-making, consistently provides her team the opportunity to move up the ice with control of the puck. This type of quiet effectiveness may not have been what fans expected out of Nylén Persson after coming to North America on the back of three consecutive point-per-game seasons in Sweden, which contributed to her flying under the radar compared to others in her draft class. Crucially, though, it didn’t go unnoticed by the Sirens’ front office.

Despite initially protecting two defenders and losing the team’s all-time leading scorer in Carpenter to expansion as a result, New York still chose to protect Nylén Persson over offensive mainstays Eldridge and Roque. Maintaining the 24-year-old, as well as landing Jincy Roese in free agency, allowed general manager Pascal Daoust the flexibility to trade star blueliner Ella Shelton on draft day, replenishing their offense with a one-two punch of Kristýna Kaltounková and Casey O’Brien. The thought process behind the Sirens’ whirlwind of an offseason begins to make much more sense when considering just how highly they value Nylén Persson’s game.

The Sept. 22nd announcement of her contract being extended until the 2027-28 season only further drives that point home. Nylén Persson became the first player in league history to sign an extension with more than one year left on her current contract, showing just how eager the Sirens were to ensure she stays in teal for as long as possible. "[Nylén Persson] is truly an athlete with limitless potential," said Daoust. "One that I hope our fans will have the privilege to enjoy, applaud, and appreciate for many years to come."

2025 Top 25 Under 25: Brooke McQuigge (25), Annelies Bergmann (24), Maja Nylén Persson (23)

Kicking off this year’s rankings with a bang!

The Ice GardenMaya Smith

Nylén Persson appears poised to feature on New York’s top defensive pairing alongside captain and usual partner Micah Zandee-Hart in 2025-26. With another year of familiarity under their belt and Nylén Persson’s successful recovery from the injury that prematurely ended her rookie season, the two have the potential to form one of, if not the best two-way defense pairs in the league. Along with a revamped forward core and a number of intriguing options in net, Nylén Persson’s Sirens are a team to look out for heading into the PWHL’s third season.