PWHL San Jose has locked in what will hopefully be the team’s cornerstone player for the foreseeable future. The yet-to-be-named team signed fourth-overall draft pick Laila Edwards to a three-year “standard player agreement” through the 2028-29 season.
“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.”
For her part, the 22-year-old says she’s happy to be sticking in San Jose for a while.
“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.”
Edwards is already becoming the face of professional women’s hockey in the Bay Area. Fresh off the draft, she teamed with the San Jose Sharks and visited the NHL Entry Draft, where she made two of the team’s first-round selections.
Edwards has also had an eventful summer, doing media for PWHL San Jose and taking some time to celebrate her gold medal at the Olympics during the “She Weekend” in Las Vegas. She also did a stint on Celebrity Family Feud with some of the other men and women who represented Team USA at the Olympics.
Where PWHL San Jose’s roster stands right now
Edwards will not be the last players signed by PWHL San Jose. As of today, Sept. 14, the team has 14 players under contract.
Forwards:
– Anne Cherkowski (2 years)
– Maggie Connors (2 years)
– Kristin O’Neill (2 years)
– Maddi Wheeler (2 years)
– Brooke Bryant (1 year)
– Kristin Della Rovere (1 year)
– Natalie Mlynkova (1 year)
Defense:
– Rory Guilday (2 years)
– Hadley Hartmetz (2 years)
– Mariah Keopple (2 years)
– Daniela Pejzova (2 years)
– Laila Edwards (3 years)*
Goaltenders:
– Corinne Schroeder (2 years)
– Abbey Levy (1 year)
PWHL San Jose can carry 23 active players and up to three reserve players on its roster. That still leaves a few holes to fill as San Jose prepares to open the season.
*Head Coach Troy Ryan has not said if Edwards will play forward or defense yet this season. Edwards has played forward in the past, most recently with the University of Wisconsin. However, she played defense for the U.S. Women’s National Team that won the gold medal in Milano-Cortina.
What about San Jose’s other 2026 draft picks?
PWHL San Jose drafted four other players on June 17, all of whom still need contracts to start the season. The team picked up Sloane Matthews at 16th overall. The Ohio State center is a two-way forward who could be a depth addition to the seven forwards San Jose already has on its roster. 40th overall selection Lily Shannon, 52nd overall pick McKenna Van Gelder and Reichen Kirchmair also need contracts. It also drafted goaltender Tia Chan in the third round.
Just last week, the league announced that training camps will start Nov. 18, after the IIHF Women’s World Championship wraps up. The PWHL San Jose team will play its first home game, a scrimmage with the Seattle Torrent, on Nov. 29 at Tech CU Arena.
