July 2, 2025 • 20 mins
Kristýna “Kalty” Kaltounková is the 2025 PWHL #1 draft pick—and she’s headed to the New York Sirens. The Czech standout lit up the NCAA with a record-breaking career st Colgate, but her story starts much earlier: skating at age three to keep up with her older brother. Kalty joins Laura to talk about her journey from youth hockey to a new era in pro women’s sports, how she plays on the edge, and why she’s ready to bring her grit—and insane shot—to the biggest sports market in the world.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome back to courtside. I'm your host, Laura Currenti. The
Professional Women's Hockey League, also known as the PWHL, just
marked its second season, another breakthrough year for the league.
Attendance surged by roughly thirty percent, with total attendants surpassing
one million since launch and live games now reaching fans
in one hundred and six countries. Merchandise sales doubled, bolster
by new kit launches, including partnerships with Barbie, Peace Collective
(00:26):
and Lululemon, and a league sponsorship portfolio that grew fifty percent.
Social media engagement climbs sixty eight percent, and the league's
revamp website drew over twenty million views from users across
one hundred and fifty plus countries. The season introduced the
inaugural Takeover Tour and welcome expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver,
all of this demonstrating bold momentum and ambition for future growth.
(00:47):
And speaking of future growth and bold momentum, I'm excited
to introduce you to this year's number one draft pick,
who is coming to the New York Sirens ready to
take over and play on the edge. The number one
overall draft pick in the twenty PWHL draft Christina Kaltunkova.
She goes by Kalty, so get used to hearing that name.
Kyalty is a check native who lit up the NCAA
(01:09):
at Colgate, broke records left and right, and became one
of the most feared scorers in college hockey. We're talking
one hundred and eleven goals, nineteen game winners, and more
power play tallies than anyone in Colgate history. And now
she's taking that firepower to the pros. She's a Pattikaz finalist,
the first check player ever nominated an All American National
Team standout, and now a cornerstone for the future of
(01:32):
the PWHL. In this conversation, we get into draft night
Calty's rise from watching her brothers play to Colgate and
now the world stage. It feels like we may just
be on the precipice of a new era in women's hockey.
Let's welcome Kalty to New York. Kylty, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
I may say selfishly, my favorite team, the New York Sirens.
I grew up right in the backyard a Prudential Center,
so I'm so excited to have you in North New
Jersey to be able to see you play. Take me
through the journey. When did you first fall in love
with ice hockey?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah? So I have an older brother who's three years older,
and from my parents telling me the story, they took
me with them too my brother's practice because we didn't
have a babysitter, so I had to tag along at
two or three, maybe even younger, and they had to
sit me on the boards and I would just watch
my brother's practice and I would just like scream, like cry,
(02:28):
and it was crazy, and my parents didn't know what
to do with me, and I guess I just really
wanted to go on the ice and try skating and
try flighting hockey, and so they put me on and
I didn't even really need some sort of a pushy
thing to lean on and skate. My parents told me,
I pretty much just started skating, which was kind of
a miracle, I feel like, but I think that summarizes
(02:50):
who I am as a person and a hockey player,
because I whatever my brother was doing, I had to do,
and that stuck with me, Like we would be shooting
pucks in our backyard and I constantly had to beat
him if I didn't out throw a to intrum and
try as and it's later.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So yeah, that's kinda I think where it started.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
When did you know that this passion, this fun, this
having to do everything that your brother did would turn
into something that could become a professional career.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I think first my parents kind of noticed it when
they were out of town.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I was probably home alone.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I was maybe a little older, or my brother was
looking after me or something, and I knew I couldn't
get to practice, and I just couldn't bear that. So
I packed my bag at home and I walked across
my town to the rink from my house, and my
mom got a call from her best friend, whose son
also played hockey with me, and she was like, what
(03:44):
is CALTI doing. She's walking with her back, with her
hockey back on her shoulders, just to the rink. And
I was little, so that was just kind of comic
to see, I guess, but yeah, I mean that's who
I was, Like, I couldn't skip hockey. I mean I
committed a lot hockey and I sacrificed a lot. I
gave up a lot of things to be able to
(04:05):
be at a you know, be where I want to be.
I mean, I think I kind of knew when I
was probably in fourth or fifth grade, or even third
and fourth because or not even I don't know if
I did, I knew, but I think my parents saw
something in me because when I was really young, I
transferred teams and we started driving an hour and fifteen
(04:27):
minutes to Malada Boulislave, you know, where I played with
the youth team.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
So that's a lot.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It's a big commitment, driving that far, sometimes three or
four times a day because I still went to school
in my hometown. And then at that point, I think
I just knew that's what I had to do, so
I just I did it, and I loved hockey, So
to me, that was the necessary part because in my
hometown the quality wasn't the best, so my parents always,
you know, wanted to step up and challenge me even more.
(04:57):
But yeah, I mean I probably noticed with the national
team because the level. So I started playing for the
national team in two thousand and thirteen, I believe.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And how old are you at this point, eleven?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
So pretty young?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Pretty yeah, yeah, uh yeah. But then you know, with
the national team, I saw a lot of my role models,
a lot of the older girls who played for the
national team and played overseas at universities. And so I
think up until that point, I loved hockey and it
was great, and I loved the NHL. I loved, you know,
(05:34):
watching the older men's hockey players and Mladoupolis left or
all over the country. But and we always watched the
men's World Championships. That was our thing at home. Like
the outside and it's always in May, so we just
sit outside, have so much fun. But like after I
saw that girls can play in the US or Canada,
(05:54):
it reflects so much now, Like now I'm in the
position where little girls look up to me. So I
try to look back and realize and or reflect on
ways how I was motivated and driven by those girls,
and I try to lead in those ways too.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So take us through those formative years. Because you go
on to play pep pockey at Vermont Academy, where you're
a co captain, amassing nearly ninety points in your senior
year alone, I mean, you're just a rock star. And
then going on to Colgate where in just five seasons
Italian I'm reading here one hundred and eleven goals and
one hundred and twenty two assists for two hundred and
thirty three points. Take us through those formative years and
(06:31):
what you brought from your experience playing with the Czech
national team and growing up at those local rinks now
to the US.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, I can't go without saying. Think you told my teammates,
you know, back home and Czech national team coogate, Vermont
Academy just everywhere. I wouldn't be able to be here
without them, So that's just a start off. But I
think I just brought with me the determination from Czech
Like playing with boys, it wasn't always easy. A lot
(06:59):
of the guys try to hit me and just knock
me out, and you know a lot of times I
just wouldn't give it to them so easily. And I
got up and love that and hit them even You're
gonna fit in New Jersey just fine.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
That is such a New Jersey attitude. Good.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
I mean, I have scars on my chin because I
would also wear my cage so high up that my
chin would be just showing. But you know, I don't know,
I just feel like coming over to Vermont Academy at
the age of fifteen without my parents because a lot
of the girls from Europe come with their parents. I
just feel like that shows how much of a determination
(07:35):
and motivation I had, and love for the sport and
just love for adventure. Because I don't know, it was
just something exciting. I didn't even cry. I was so excited.
My mom was dead worried, like I'm gonna be calling
home in like five days, not even you know, homesick,
and I you know, the only call she got was
(07:56):
at midnight how to turn on the washer.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
So I think she was like the call every mom gets.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, yeah, but she was probably expecting a little something different.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
But at least I was washing my clothes.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
But yeah, I mean I also have to mention like
the community of Vermont Academy and Kobe brought me in,
and you know, they made it feel like the home.
Like it's not the place that Todd's home, it's the
people that make you feel like home.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I think that's the biggest thing for both places totally.
And now you have a new home in New York.
So would three four year old getting on the ice
without any instruction kled the imagine this moment of your
name being called number one in the PWHL draft.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
She would definitely dream for it, but I don't know
if she would think that it's realistic. But once she
saw those older girls, she would said that as her
dream and go after it. I'm a big fan of
the Rangers and the Yankees, like because my youth coach
from my hometown, his son played for the Rangers, so
(08:57):
we have the Rangers calendar.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I'm like, oh wait, oh nine. I love that.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I had a little zamboni like I was, and since
then I was a big fan because like here, you
don't watch the NHL because that's at two am in
the morning. I was a big fan of Crosby and
the Penguins, but like this kind of brought it closer,
you know what I mean, Like like it we're so
far away from it where you don't really have a connection,
and so this created such a big connection where I
was like, Wow, New York And I was always a
(09:24):
fan because in check everyone's like, oh my god, New
York City. So it's it's quite exciting. And I even
in my room, I have a little lit lego architecture
of New York City.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So it's a dream come true. And I'm blessed to
be in this position.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
You're coming into a market, particularly on the women's side,
with Gotham having won the NWSL championship in twenty three,
New York Liberty lifting their first franchise trophy just last season.
What excites you about playing in New.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
York playing with some of the best players in the world,
Sarah Phillier, Mikes Andy Hart. You know, my old teammates,
my old coach. Seems like a great organization having you know,
spoken with basketball though, like just the whole the whole staff,
even just from media setting these goals up like they're
so awesome, and so I mean, obviously the hockey is
(10:28):
so exciting because it's so competitive and finally you can
play physical and it's it's such good hockey. I think
the quality of it. But like again, it's not the place.
It's the people that make you feel like home. And
so that's what I'm most excited for. And then the
hockey I'll make the most out of because I just
go and I play and I give it my all,
(10:48):
and and you know, either good things happen or they don't,
that's hockey. But like I can always look back and
be happy because I always give it my best.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I love that and New Yorkers, and I should say
Jersey fans as well, are probably one of the most loyal,
supportive fan bases in the world. As you look at
the growth of the PWHL just coming off of its
second season alone, I mean, the statistics are mind blowing.
What would you want fans to know about you and
more about the growth of women hockey as you've come
up through it that they might not know had they
(11:18):
not met you or spoken with you directly.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I feel like you could see it at the World
Championship at home, like especially about me, like I'll always
give it my best, and like I'm always all in
and you know, a day in, day out, I always
just like work my butt off and partly did it
for the fans because when you have over five thousand
(11:43):
people showing up to your games, it motivates you and
to me, like, I kind of want to give back
to them for coming. So I want to perform not
only for my team, but also for them, and I
want them to be our fans, and I want to
meet them and I want to engage with them. You know,
in college, I was you know, a big part of
different communities and we did different you know events, and
(12:04):
that was so fun. And you know, I tried setting
some organizations up for some events up and it was
kind of difficult just because it was academics athletics and
right like, it's different things like I went and donated
blood and I wanted to do a blood drive with
our team, and it was just too complicated.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
So I'm really.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Hoping that we could do something that you know, connects
both the team and the fans, and that connects me
and the fans, and it just seems so professional. So
I believe it's so possible. So that really excites me.
But I think what they can look for is me
just like absolutely playing for them, like I play on
(12:46):
the edge and partly I do so for the fans
because I know it entertains them and it entertains me
because that's why I love it, and that's why I
play it.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
I love it. So I hear you have an insane shot.
What's the playing style we can expect from you on
the ice this season?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I think obviously when you look at the stats, which
again reflects a whole team play, not just me as
an individual. But like I think you can obviously expect
an offensive player that can not only score but create
chances for others. And that's this is hard because with
scoring at this level, it's so hard to do so,
and so it's something I can't control. So that's not
(13:27):
really actually what I focus on when I got into
a game. What I focus on is being a good
two hundred foot player and a good teammate on the
ice and off the ice, and it starts with, you know,
the D zone and blocking shots. Like this year, I
had over seventy five block shots, and so I played
different roles. I played a defender on the PK and
I loved it. I dove into every shot and never
(13:48):
once did I think, No, you cannot get injured by
blocking a shot in the D zone.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
You gotta go score goals.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
It just doesn't. It just doesn't, you know, work for
me like that. So I would say just selling out
for the team, and I would do anything for my teammates.
And when my teammates are at their best, I'm at
my best. And that's kind of how I go about it.
I always give it my best during practices, during games,
and you know, I like to distribute the puck, breaking
out out of the zone and then obviously shoot the puck,
(14:17):
but also make plays and find my teammates.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I'm excited about the changes that are happening like this
jail break rule. I love the pace of the game,
the excitement of the game, The entertainment, as you alluded to,
is changing. What are you most excited about for the
future of women's hockey as just the overall industry continues
to gain incredible momentum.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I really like those rules too.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
It's going to be an adjustment for sure, because I'm
not used to them, but I'm really excited. I'm also
excited about the physicality as it's growing in the women's game.
I think it's so important. I'm a big believer in physicality,
not only for entertainment, but also for the pace of
the game. And I also think for motivation for the players,
because you know, when you're if you're not going to
(15:02):
the gym, you gotta be because you know, you know
you're getting banged up in every game and so and
that's what I also think I'm bringing into the game.
I love playing physical and that's just one of my passions,
and so obviously it's gonna be a much more different level.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I'm not gonna be as dominant.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
With my physical play as I was in college, and
that will apply probably to a lot less penalty minutes hopefully.
But but you know, I just think it's growing so much,
and honestly, I'm glad that I'll be challenged and I'm
not expecting to walk into the league and you know,
not face any adversity or challenges at all. And I'm
(15:41):
kind of excited that I will be facing those challenges
and that I won't be as easy for me that
I will get hit, because then I'm gonna want to
get up and hit that girl even harder and win
a battle and go to the net and work in
the grease band, you know, because that's where you score goals,
even though it hurts. But I just feel like the
women are committed to the game and they're showing it
every day and they're doing so much for the community
(16:04):
and showing that, you know, we're playing for much more
than just ourselves.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Yeah, it's interesting as I think about number one draft
picks across the board, you know, you think a page
backer is going in the WNBA, and as much as
obviously the Encore on ice et cetera. Also the responsibility
in the women's game to build the brand right, to
help build not just the league, not just the team,
but you know, building a business around you. Have you
thought much about that coming to a market like New York?
(16:29):
Are there brands that you want to work with?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Things?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
You're excited that you're thinking about it. You're making tiktoks
like how do we get to know who you are
and ultimately have brands aligned with you and the team. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
I'm not a big TikToker, but you know my agency
is pushing me to be.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Maybe maybe we'll see something here and there.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
But I just feel like, more than anything, I'm so
excited to be working with a company back home, you
know where we set up girls from check and even
from Europe to get to the NC double A to
play women's hockey. I mean, the company does so many
different sports, but I'm the manager for women's hockey.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Talk about that a little bit. What does that entail?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yeah, so you know, we sign a contract with a family,
you know, where a girl, for example, now we have
a goalie, she wants to go play and study in
the US or Canada. And so given that I have
a lot of you know, people that I know in
the US in the nc DOUBLEA, And if I don't
know someone, I know someone who knows them, and so
(17:33):
I don't know. I just want to help those girls
in that way and connect them to those coaches and
be like, hey, we have this goalie, she's great.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Here's her video that we prepared for her.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
And so pretty much that process of getting to that
school is going to be taken care of. Like, I
want to be able to help these girls, and so
we get them to sign with an NCBA team, hopefully
you know, great hockey team. But you know, even if
they're prioritizing academics over athletics, that's totally okay. It's all
(18:04):
built on the needs and wants of that athlete, and
we just make it happen.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
I love that. What's the name of the organization, US
Futures Very cool. Yeah, we'll check that out.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Instagram too, so and it's actually the CEO of that
company is a former Olympian.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
So so professional, so awesome.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
A team full of great people, which makes me really
excited because I once was someone who was helped to
go to high school in the US with an organization
like that, and I was luckily recruited to go to college,
but you know, not everyone gets that chance, and so
I want to be able to help them get that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
And yeah, yeah, you're very much pay it forward athlete.
That's incredible. But some fun questions before I let you go.
What's the first food you're having when you sign with
the Sirens in New York City? Yeah, of course, I
would probably.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Say, I'm going to have a good cheese piso with Franch.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Ranch.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah, I can't eat American pizza without Ranch.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
What is one New York athlete you're looking forward to meeting?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Oh, there's so many.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Aaron Judge or Meek as a binge at or Henrik Lundquist, Oh.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
My god, of course, yeah, or even And what are
you looking forward most on your debut at Prudential Center.
What's the thing you're going to be thinking about when
you hit the ice?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Just looking around, soaking it all in, looking at those
fans that came there because of us and for us
to support us. And hopefully we'll be able to fly
my parents out there to experience that with me, which
would be just amazing, unbelievable. So probably those those two
things and sharing that with my teammates, and I'm just
excited to battle and hopefully get the first one.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
I could tell you this, You're going to do very
well in New York. We're so excited to have you
on the Sirens. Congratulations on being the number one pick.
It's clear from a very early age this was your destiny,
so we're excited to cheer you on. I can't wait
to bang the glass. I'm right by the Sirens bench
so you'll see this season and just wishing you all
the best, Kelty, and welcome to New York.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Thank you so much, thanks again for having me.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
I'm your host, Laura Crenti, founder and CEO of Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz,
and this show is produced by Ryan Martz along with
associate producers Meredith Barnes and Rachel Zuckerman. Court Side is
an iheartwomen's sports production and partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
(20:27):
wherever you get your podcasts. Want more, follow, rate, and
review court Side wherever you get your podcasts, and stay
in the game by following us on social media at
iheartwomen's sports and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.
In the show notes, thanks for listening. We'll see you
next time court side.
Welcome back to courtside. I'm your host, Laura Currenti. The
Professional Women's Hockey League, also known as the PWHL, just
marked its second season, another breakthrough year for the league.
Attendance surged by roughly thirty percent, with total attendants surpassing
one million since launch and live games now reaching fans
in one hundred and six countries. Merchandise sales doubled, bolster
by new kit launches, including partnerships with Barbie, Peace Collective
(00:26):
and Lululemon, and a league sponsorship portfolio that grew fifty percent.
Social media engagement climbs sixty eight percent, and the league's
revamp website drew over twenty million views from users across
one hundred and fifty plus countries. The season introduced the
inaugural Takeover Tour and welcome expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver,
all of this demonstrating bold momentum and ambition for future growth.
(00:47):
And speaking of future growth and bold momentum, I'm excited
to introduce you to this year's number one draft pick,
who is coming to the New York Sirens ready to
take over and play on the edge. The number one
overall draft pick in the twenty PWHL draft Christina Kaltunkova.
She goes by Kalty, so get used to hearing that name.
Kyalty is a check native who lit up the NCAA
(01:09):
at Colgate, broke records left and right, and became one
of the most feared scorers in college hockey. We're talking
one hundred and eleven goals, nineteen game winners, and more
power play tallies than anyone in Colgate history. And now
she's taking that firepower to the pros. She's a Pattikaz finalist,
the first check player ever nominated an All American National
Team standout, and now a cornerstone for the future of
(01:32):
the PWHL. In this conversation, we get into draft night
Calty's rise from watching her brothers play to Colgate and
now the world stage. It feels like we may just
be on the precipice of a new era in women's hockey.
Let's welcome Kalty to New York. Kylty, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
I may say selfishly, my favorite team, the New York Sirens.
I grew up right in the backyard a Prudential Center,
so I'm so excited to have you in North New
Jersey to be able to see you play. Take me
through the journey. When did you first fall in love
with ice hockey?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah? So I have an older brother who's three years older,
and from my parents telling me the story, they took
me with them too my brother's practice because we didn't
have a babysitter, so I had to tag along at
two or three, maybe even younger, and they had to
sit me on the boards and I would just watch
my brother's practice and I would just like scream, like cry,
(02:28):
and it was crazy, and my parents didn't know what
to do with me, and I guess I just really
wanted to go on the ice and try skating and
try flighting hockey, and so they put me on and
I didn't even really need some sort of a pushy
thing to lean on and skate. My parents told me,
I pretty much just started skating, which was kind of
a miracle, I feel like, but I think that summarizes
(02:50):
who I am as a person and a hockey player,
because I whatever my brother was doing, I had to do,
and that stuck with me, Like we would be shooting
pucks in our backyard and I constantly had to beat
him if I didn't out throw a to intrum and
try as and it's later.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So yeah, that's kinda I think where it started.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
When did you know that this passion, this fun, this
having to do everything that your brother did would turn
into something that could become a professional career.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I think first my parents kind of noticed it when
they were out of town.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I was probably home alone.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
I was maybe a little older, or my brother was
looking after me or something, and I knew I couldn't
get to practice, and I just couldn't bear that. So
I packed my bag at home and I walked across
my town to the rink from my house, and my
mom got a call from her best friend, whose son
also played hockey with me, and she was like, what
(03:44):
is CALTI doing. She's walking with her back, with her
hockey back on her shoulders, just to the rink. And
I was little, so that was just kind of comic
to see, I guess, but yeah, I mean that's who
I was, Like, I couldn't skip hockey. I mean I
committed a lot hockey and I sacrificed a lot. I
gave up a lot of things to be able to
(04:05):
be at a you know, be where I want to be.
I mean, I think I kind of knew when I
was probably in fourth or fifth grade, or even third
and fourth because or not even I don't know if
I did, I knew, but I think my parents saw
something in me because when I was really young, I
transferred teams and we started driving an hour and fifteen
(04:27):
minutes to Malada Boulislave, you know, where I played with
the youth team.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
So that's a lot.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It's a big commitment, driving that far, sometimes three or
four times a day because I still went to school
in my hometown. And then at that point, I think
I just knew that's what I had to do, so
I just I did it, and I loved hockey, So
to me, that was the necessary part because in my
hometown the quality wasn't the best, so my parents always,
you know, wanted to step up and challenge me even more.
(04:57):
But yeah, I mean I probably noticed with the national
team because the level. So I started playing for the
national team in two thousand and thirteen, I believe.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And how old are you at this point, eleven?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
So pretty young?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Pretty yeah, yeah, uh yeah. But then you know, with
the national team, I saw a lot of my role models,
a lot of the older girls who played for the
national team and played overseas at universities. And so I
think up until that point, I loved hockey and it
was great, and I loved the NHL. I loved, you know,
(05:34):
watching the older men's hockey players and Mladoupolis left or
all over the country. But and we always watched the
men's World Championships. That was our thing at home. Like
the outside and it's always in May, so we just
sit outside, have so much fun. But like after I
saw that girls can play in the US or Canada,
(05:54):
it reflects so much now, Like now I'm in the
position where little girls look up to me. So I
try to look back and realize and or reflect on
ways how I was motivated and driven by those girls,
and I try to lead in those ways too.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So take us through those formative years. Because you go
on to play pep pockey at Vermont Academy, where you're
a co captain, amassing nearly ninety points in your senior
year alone, I mean, you're just a rock star. And
then going on to Colgate where in just five seasons
Italian I'm reading here one hundred and eleven goals and
one hundred and twenty two assists for two hundred and
thirty three points. Take us through those formative years and
(06:31):
what you brought from your experience playing with the Czech
national team and growing up at those local rinks now
to the US.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, I can't go without saying. Think you told my teammates,
you know, back home and Czech national team coogate, Vermont
Academy just everywhere. I wouldn't be able to be here
without them, So that's just a start off. But I
think I just brought with me the determination from Czech
Like playing with boys, it wasn't always easy. A lot
(06:59):
of the guys try to hit me and just knock
me out, and you know a lot of times I
just wouldn't give it to them so easily. And I
got up and love that and hit them even You're
gonna fit in New Jersey just fine.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
That is such a New Jersey attitude. Good.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
I mean, I have scars on my chin because I
would also wear my cage so high up that my
chin would be just showing. But you know, I don't know,
I just feel like coming over to Vermont Academy at
the age of fifteen without my parents because a lot
of the girls from Europe come with their parents. I
just feel like that shows how much of a determination
(07:35):
and motivation I had, and love for the sport and
just love for adventure. Because I don't know, it was
just something exciting. I didn't even cry. I was so excited.
My mom was dead worried, like I'm gonna be calling
home in like five days, not even you know, homesick,
and I you know, the only call she got was
(07:56):
at midnight how to turn on the washer.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
So I think she was like the call every mom gets.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, yeah, but she was probably expecting a little something different.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
But at least I was washing my clothes.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
But yeah, I mean I also have to mention like
the community of Vermont Academy and Kobe brought me in,
and you know, they made it feel like the home.
Like it's not the place that Todd's home, it's the
people that make you feel like home.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I think that's the biggest thing for both places totally.
And now you have a new home in New York.
So would three four year old getting on the ice
without any instruction kled the imagine this moment of your
name being called number one in the PWHL draft.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
She would definitely dream for it, but I don't know
if she would think that it's realistic. But once she
saw those older girls, she would said that as her
dream and go after it. I'm a big fan of
the Rangers and the Yankees, like because my youth coach
from my hometown, his son played for the Rangers, so
(08:57):
we have the Rangers calendar.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I'm like, oh wait, oh nine. I love that.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I had a little zamboni like I was, and since
then I was a big fan because like here, you
don't watch the NHL because that's at two am in
the morning. I was a big fan of Crosby and
the Penguins, but like this kind of brought it closer,
you know what I mean, Like like it we're so
far away from it where you don't really have a connection,
and so this created such a big connection where I
was like, Wow, New York And I was always a
(09:24):
fan because in check everyone's like, oh my god, New
York City. So it's it's quite exciting. And I even
in my room, I have a little lit lego architecture
of New York City.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So it's a dream come true. And I'm blessed to
be in this position.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
You're coming into a market, particularly on the women's side,
with Gotham having won the NWSL championship in twenty three,
New York Liberty lifting their first franchise trophy just last season.
What excites you about playing in New.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
York playing with some of the best players in the world,
Sarah Phillier, Mikes Andy Hart. You know, my old teammates,
my old coach. Seems like a great organization having you know,
spoken with basketball though, like just the whole the whole staff,
even just from media setting these goals up like they're
so awesome, and so I mean, obviously the hockey is
(10:28):
so exciting because it's so competitive and finally you can
play physical and it's it's such good hockey. I think
the quality of it. But like again, it's not the place.
It's the people that make you feel like home. And
so that's what I'm most excited for. And then the
hockey I'll make the most out of because I just
go and I play and I give it my all,
(10:48):
and and you know, either good things happen or they don't,
that's hockey. But like I can always look back and
be happy because I always give it my best.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I love that and New Yorkers, and I should say
Jersey fans as well, are probably one of the most loyal,
supportive fan bases in the world. As you look at
the growth of the PWHL just coming off of its
second season alone, I mean, the statistics are mind blowing.
What would you want fans to know about you and
more about the growth of women hockey as you've come
up through it that they might not know had they
(11:18):
not met you or spoken with you directly.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I feel like you could see it at the World
Championship at home, like especially about me, like I'll always
give it my best, and like I'm always all in
and you know, a day in, day out, I always
just like work my butt off and partly did it
for the fans because when you have over five thousand
(11:43):
people showing up to your games, it motivates you and
to me, like, I kind of want to give back
to them for coming. So I want to perform not
only for my team, but also for them, and I
want them to be our fans, and I want to
meet them and I want to engage with them. You know,
in college, I was you know, a big part of
different communities and we did different you know events, and
(12:04):
that was so fun. And you know, I tried setting
some organizations up for some events up and it was
kind of difficult just because it was academics athletics and
right like, it's different things like I went and donated
blood and I wanted to do a blood drive with
our team, and it was just too complicated.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
So I'm really.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Hoping that we could do something that you know, connects
both the team and the fans, and that connects me
and the fans, and it just seems so professional. So
I believe it's so possible. So that really excites me.
But I think what they can look for is me
just like absolutely playing for them, like I play on
(12:46):
the edge and partly I do so for the fans
because I know it entertains them and it entertains me
because that's why I love it, and that's why I
play it.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
I love it. So I hear you have an insane shot.
What's the playing style we can expect from you on
the ice this season?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I think obviously when you look at the stats, which
again reflects a whole team play, not just me as
an individual. But like I think you can obviously expect
an offensive player that can not only score but create
chances for others. And that's this is hard because with
scoring at this level, it's so hard to do so,
and so it's something I can't control. So that's not
(13:27):
really actually what I focus on when I got into
a game. What I focus on is being a good
two hundred foot player and a good teammate on the
ice and off the ice, and it starts with, you know,
the D zone and blocking shots. Like this year, I
had over seventy five block shots, and so I played
different roles. I played a defender on the PK and
I loved it. I dove into every shot and never
(13:48):
once did I think, No, you cannot get injured by
blocking a shot in the D zone.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
You gotta go score goals.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
It just doesn't. It just doesn't, you know, work for
me like that. So I would say just selling out
for the team, and I would do anything for my teammates.
And when my teammates are at their best, I'm at
my best. And that's kind of how I go about it.
I always give it my best during practices, during games,
and you know, I like to distribute the puck, breaking
out out of the zone and then obviously shoot the puck,
(14:17):
but also make plays and find my teammates.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I'm excited about the changes that are happening like this
jail break rule. I love the pace of the game,
the excitement of the game, The entertainment, as you alluded to,
is changing. What are you most excited about for the
future of women's hockey as just the overall industry continues
to gain incredible momentum.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I really like those rules too.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
It's going to be an adjustment for sure, because I'm
not used to them, but I'm really excited. I'm also
excited about the physicality as it's growing in the women's game.
I think it's so important. I'm a big believer in physicality,
not only for entertainment, but also for the pace of
the game. And I also think for motivation for the players,
because you know, when you're if you're not going to
(15:02):
the gym, you gotta be because you know, you know
you're getting banged up in every game and so and
that's what I also think I'm bringing into the game.
I love playing physical and that's just one of my passions,
and so obviously it's gonna be a much more different level.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I'm not gonna be as dominant.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
With my physical play as I was in college, and
that will apply probably to a lot less penalty minutes hopefully.
But but you know, I just think it's growing so much,
and honestly, I'm glad that I'll be challenged and I'm
not expecting to walk into the league and you know,
not face any adversity or challenges at all. And I'm
(15:41):
kind of excited that I will be facing those challenges
and that I won't be as easy for me that
I will get hit, because then I'm gonna want to
get up and hit that girl even harder and win
a battle and go to the net and work in
the grease band, you know, because that's where you score goals,
even though it hurts. But I just feel like the
women are committed to the game and they're showing it
every day and they're doing so much for the community
(16:04):
and showing that, you know, we're playing for much more
than just ourselves.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Yeah, it's interesting as I think about number one draft
picks across the board, you know, you think a page
backer is going in the WNBA, and as much as
obviously the Encore on ice et cetera. Also the responsibility
in the women's game to build the brand right, to
help build not just the league, not just the team,
but you know, building a business around you. Have you
thought much about that coming to a market like New York?
(16:29):
Are there brands that you want to work with?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Things?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
You're excited that you're thinking about it. You're making tiktoks
like how do we get to know who you are
and ultimately have brands aligned with you and the team. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
I'm not a big TikToker, but you know my agency
is pushing me to be.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Maybe maybe we'll see something here and there.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
But I just feel like, more than anything, I'm so
excited to be working with a company back home, you
know where we set up girls from check and even
from Europe to get to the NC double A to
play women's hockey. I mean, the company does so many
different sports, but I'm the manager for women's hockey.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Talk about that a little bit. What does that entail?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yeah, so you know, we sign a contract with a family,
you know, where a girl, for example, now we have
a goalie, she wants to go play and study in
the US or Canada. And so given that I have
a lot of you know, people that I know in
the US in the nc DOUBLEA, And if I don't
know someone, I know someone who knows them, and so
(17:33):
I don't know. I just want to help those girls
in that way and connect them to those coaches and
be like, hey, we have this goalie, she's great.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Here's her video that we prepared for her.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
And so pretty much that process of getting to that
school is going to be taken care of. Like, I
want to be able to help these girls, and so
we get them to sign with an NCBA team, hopefully
you know, great hockey team. But you know, even if
they're prioritizing academics over athletics, that's totally okay. It's all
(18:04):
built on the needs and wants of that athlete, and
we just make it happen.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
I love that. What's the name of the organization, US
Futures Very cool. Yeah, we'll check that out.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Instagram too, so and it's actually the CEO of that
company is a former Olympian.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
So so professional, so awesome.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
A team full of great people, which makes me really
excited because I once was someone who was helped to
go to high school in the US with an organization
like that, and I was luckily recruited to go to college,
but you know, not everyone gets that chance, and so
I want to be able to help them get that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
And yeah, yeah, you're very much pay it forward athlete.
That's incredible. But some fun questions before I let you go.
What's the first food you're having when you sign with
the Sirens in New York City? Yeah, of course, I
would probably.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Say, I'm going to have a good cheese piso with Franch.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Ranch.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Yeah, I can't eat American pizza without Ranch.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
What is one New York athlete you're looking forward to meeting?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Oh, there's so many.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Aaron Judge or Meek as a binge at or Henrik Lundquist, Oh.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
My god, of course, yeah, or even And what are
you looking forward most on your debut at Prudential Center.
What's the thing you're going to be thinking about when
you hit the ice?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Just looking around, soaking it all in, looking at those
fans that came there because of us and for us
to support us. And hopefully we'll be able to fly
my parents out there to experience that with me, which
would be just amazing, unbelievable. So probably those those two
things and sharing that with my teammates, and I'm just
excited to battle and hopefully get the first one.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
I could tell you this, You're going to do very
well in New York. We're so excited to have you
on the Sirens. Congratulations on being the number one pick.
It's clear from a very early age this was your destiny,
so we're excited to cheer you on. I can't wait
to bang the glass. I'm right by the Sirens bench
so you'll see this season and just wishing you all
the best, Kelty, and welcome to New York.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Thank you so much, thanks again for having me.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
I'm your host, Laura Crenti, founder and CEO of Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz,
and this show is produced by Ryan Martz along with
associate producers Meredith Barnes and Rachel Zuckerman. Court Side is
an iheartwomen's sports production and partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
(20:27):
wherever you get your podcasts. Want more, follow, rate, and
review court Side wherever you get your podcasts, and stay
in the game by following us on social media at
iheartwomen's sports and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.
In the show notes, thanks for listening. We'll see you
next time court side.
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