SAN JOSE, CA – PWHL San Jose today announced that defender Laila Edwards has been signed to a three-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement through the 2028-29 season. Selected fourth overall in the 2026 PWHL Draft, Edwards was the first of six players chosen by PWHL San Jose in the six-round process on June 17 and is the first member of the team’s inaugural draft class to sign ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Laila to San Jose and are excited about what her commitment means for the future we are building here,” said Troy Ryan, PWHL San Jose General Manager and Head Coach. “Laila is an exceptional talent who embodies the character we value in our organization. She has tremendous potential, and we are committed to supporting her growth and development as she establishes herself as a professional.”
Edwards won three National Championships in four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, amassing 199 points (81G, 118A) in 151 games across her collegiate career. Her most productive season was in 2024-25 when she led the nation with 35 goals and finished the campaign with 71 points in 41 games as a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Most recently, the 22-year-old from Cleveland Heights, OH, recorded 45 points (12G, 33A) in 28 games for the Badgers in 2025-26. Internationally, Edwards won gold in her U.S. Olympic debut in Milan this past February and has one gold and one silver medal in IIHF Women’s World Championship competition. She was named the tournament’s MVP in 2024, becoming the youngest player (age 20) to win the award.
“I couldn’t have landed in a better place and organization than San Jose,” said Edwards. “I’m so excited to get to work and get going with this group.”
On PWHL San Jose, Edwards is the 14th player under contract and the only one signed through 2028-29. The team has nine players signed to two-year deals including forwards Anne Cherkowski, Maggie Connors, Kristin O'Neill and Maddi Wheeler, defenders Rory Guilday, Hadley Hartmetz, Mariah Keopple and Daniela Pejšová, plus goaltender Corinne Schroeder. Forwards Brooke Bryant, Kristin Della Rovere, Natálie Mlýnková and goaltender Abbey Levy are signed for one season.
A complete list of player signings and transactions is available on the official PWHL Transactions Page. To see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts, visit the PWHL Contract Guide here.
ABOUT PWHL SAN JOSE
PWHL San Jose is one of 12 teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women’s hockey players in the world. PWHL San Jose was officially announced as one of the league’s four new expansion teams on May 19 and will debut at SAP Center in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here, opens in a new tab to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL San Jose’s historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit PWHLSanJose.com, subscribe to PWHL San Jose’s newsletter here, opens in a new tab, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL San Jose, opens in a new tab, Instagram @PWHL_SanJose, opens in a new tab, X @PWHL_SanJose, opens in a new tab, TikTok @PWHL_SanJose, opens in a new tab, YouTube PWHL San Jose, opens in a new tab, Threads @PWHL_SanJose, opens in a new tab, Bluesky @PWHL-SanJose, opens in a new tab, and LinkedIn PWHL San Jose, opens in a new tab.
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