DETROIT, MI (June 17, 2026) – PWHL San Jose selected six players in the 2026 PWHL Draft presented by Upper Deck, adding four forwards, one defender and one goaltender to the organization’s roster. These selections add depth to the team’s lineup ahead of the 2026-27 season, joining 10 players already under contract.
“We are very excited about the caliber of players and people that we were able to select in the draft,” said PWHL San Jose General Manager and Head Coach Troy Ryan. “I was so impressed with how thrilled our draft picks were to be selected by PWHL San Jose and it was incredible to watch each of them celebrate with their families and friends. I can’t wait to get to work with our newest players as we continue to build this organization together.”
PWHL San Jose 2026 PWHL Draft Picks:
Round 1 — 4th Pick Overall – Laila Edwards, D, University of Wisconsin, Cleveland Heights, OH
Round 2 — 16th Pick Overall – Sloane Matthews, F, Ohio State University, Wayzata, MN
Round 3 — 28th Pick Overall – Tia Chan, G, University of Connecticut, Hamilton, ON
Round 4 — 40th Pick Overall – Lily Shannon, F, Northeastern University, Andover, MA
Round 5 — 52nd Pick Overall – McKenna Van Gelder, F, Cornell University, Etobicoke, ON
Round 6 – 64th Pick Overall – Reichen Kirchmair, F, Providence College, Oakville, ON
A total of 72 players were selected by the league’s 12 teams during the six-round process at Detroit’s Fox Theatre. Click here for full results.
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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