LAS VEGAS, NV (June 6, 2026) – PWHL Las Vegas today announced that defenders Mae Batherson and Kendall Cooper are the team’s first-ever players, signing the duo to two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreements ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Signed through the 2027-28 campaign, Batherson and Cooper are reunited on the blue line after spending the 2025-26 season as teammates with the Minnesota Frost and are the first two of five players to be added to PWHL Las Vegas during Phase 2 of the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process.
Batherson completed her second season with Minnesota in 2025-26, registering 15 points (3G, 12A) across 30 appearances. The 25-year-old native of New Minas, Nova Scotia, ranked seventh among defenders in both points and assists and her plus-10 rating was tied for fourth at the position. Batherson drastically improved her offensive production as a sophomore pro after tallying just three points (3A) in 25 games in her rookie campaign with the Frost. In addition to her regular-season experience, Batherson has seen action in eight postseason games across two playoff campaigns, including a run to the 2025 Walter Cup title. Prior to her professional career, the sixth-round pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft completed a graduate season at St. Lawrence University and previously skated four seasons at Syracuse University, ending her collegiate career with 98 points (23G, 75A) across 161 games.
Cooper had a standout rookie season, recording 19 points (2G, 17A) in 30 appearances for a Frost defense corp that led the PWHL in scoring. Her 19 points tied for second among rookies, while her 17 assists led all first-year players and set a single-season record for a defender, driven by the first six-game assist streak in league history. The 24-year-old from Oakville, Ontario was selected sixth overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft and finished second in time on ice among rookies with an average of 21:29 per game. Prior to the PWHL, Cooper played five NCAA seasons at Quinnipiac University, serving as a captain for the Bobcats in her graduate season, and ended her collegiate career with 116 points (33G, 83A) in 158 games. On the international stage, Cooper earned two medals (one gold, one silver) competing for Canada at the 2019 and 2020 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships.
Phase 2 of the Expansion Player Distribution Process, which began Friday at 12 p.m. ET and continues until Monday, June 8 at 1 p.m. ET, allows each expansion team to build the foundation of its roster by acquiring five players through signings and, if necessary, a player selection process. Only players identified on an expansion team’s initial 20-player Exclusive Negotiation Target List are eligible to be signed during Phase 2. Existing teams can lose a maximum of three players who are under contract for the 2026-27 season during this phase. Read the full rules here.
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 ahead of Phase 2, visit the PWHL Contract Guide here.
ABOUT PWHL LAS VEGAS
PWHL Las Vegas 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 Las Vegas was officially announced as one of the league’s four new expansion teams on May 13 and will debut at T-Mobile Arena 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 Las Vegas’ historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit LasVegasPWHL.com, subscribe to PWHL Las Vegas’ newsletter here, opens in a new tab, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab, Instagram @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, X @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, TikTok @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, YouTube PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab, Threads @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, Bluesky @PWHL-LasVegas, opens in a new tab, and LinkedIn PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab.
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