SAN JOSE, CA – PWHL San Jose today announced that forwards Lily Shannon and Mckenna Van Gelder have each been signed to two-year Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreements through the 2027-28 season. Shannon was selected in the fourth round, 40th overall, and Van Gelder was selected in the fifth round, 52nd overall in the 2026 PWHL Draft on June 17.
Shannon played four NCAA seasons at Northeastern University, amassing 92 points (45G, 47A) in 144 career games with the Huskies. The 23-year-old from Andover, MA, served as captain during the 2025-26 campaign and finished second in team scoring by posting career highs in goals (19), assists (24), and points (43). Named a Hockey East First Team All-Star, Shannon led the Huskies with six game-winning goals and was the only NCAA player to record 40 or more points and 40 or more blocked shots.
Van Gelder played her collegiate career at Cornell University where she produced 86 points (41G, 45A) in 134 games across four seasons, including three spent with PWHL San Jose defender Rory Guilday. In 2025-26, the 22-year-old from Etobicoke, ON, contributed 23 points (10G, 13A) in 33 games as a senior captain and increased her faceoff win total from 337 to 479. Prior to Cornell, Van Gelder won gold with Team Canada at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
The signings bring the PWHL San Jose roster up to 18 players, including 10 forwards, currently under contract for the 2026-27 season. San Jose has now signed each of its top five inaugural draft picks with defender Laila Edwards, forward Sloane Matthews, and goaltender Tia Chan each locked up with three-year agreements.
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.
PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. © PWHL 2026. All Rights Reserved.