SAN JOSE, CA – PWHL San Jose today announced that forward Maddi Wheeler has signed a two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season. Wheeler, whose rights were held by the New York Sirens, joins PWHL San Jose on a new deal through the 2027-28 campaign and completes the list of five players to be added to the team during Phase 2 of the PWHL’s Expansion Roster Distribution Process.
Wheeler, a native of Erinsville, Ontario, completed her first professional season in 2025-26, appearing in 29 games for New York and recording 10 points (3G, 7A) to finish tied for fifth on the team in both points and assists. She made an immediate impact in her first pro game on Nov. 22, 2025, against Ottawa, becoming the first player in league history to record three assists in a career debut. A physical presence, Wheeler ranked fourth in the league in hits (51) and was one of just three forwards leaguewide to register 50 or more hits during the season. The 23-year-old was selected by the Sirens in the fourth round, 27th overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft after a five-year collegiate career split between Ohio State (graduate student season) and the University of Wisconsin, where she helped lead the Badgers to two NCAA National Championships. On the international stage, Wheeler earned two medals (one gold, one silver) competing for Canada at the 2019 and 2020 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships.
On PWHL San Jose, Wheeler reunites with her former Sirens teammates and fellow forwards Anne Cherkowski and Kristin O’Neill, and joins defender Rory Guilday and goaltender Corinne Schroeder, all signed to two-year contracts.
Phase 2 of the Expansion Player Distribution Process, which began Friday at 12 p.m. ET, allowed 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 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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