SAN JOSE, CA\u202f(June\u00a06, 2026)\u202f\u2013\u00a0PWHL\u00a0San Jose\u00a0today announced that forward\u00a0Kristin O\u2019Neill\u00a0received\u00a0an\u00a0Expansion\u00a0Foundational\u00a0Offer (EFO)\u00a0and\u00a0has\u00a0signed a two-year Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement\u00a0ahead of the team\u2019s inaugural 2026-27 season. O\u2019Neill joins PWHL San Jose as a cornerstone player through the 2027-28 campaign\u00a0and\u00a0becomes the\u00a0fourth\u00a0of five players to be added to the team during Phase 2 of the PWHL\u2019s Expansion Roster Distribution Process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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O\u2019Neill played for the New York Sirens during the 2025-26 PWHL season, registering five points (4G, 1A) while appearing in all 30 regular-season games.\u00a0O\u2019Neill also led the Sirens and ranked fourth in the league in faceoffs won (272), trailing only Forward of the Year finalists, Kelly Pannek and Brianne Jenner, and 2024\u00a0PWHL\u00a0Billie Jean King MVP\u00a0award\u00a0finalist, Alex Carpenter, and ranks\u00a0fourth\u00a0all-time\u00a0in the category.\u00a0In three\u00a0seasons\u00a0split between New York and Montr\u00e9al, the 28-year-old\u00a0from\u00a0Oakville,\u00a0Ontario, has notched 19 points (9G, 10A) in 83 games.\u00a0She also skated in two postseasons\u00a0with the Victoire, totaling four points (3G, 1A) in seven games.\u00a0O\u2019Neill was originally selected by Montr\u00e9al with the seventh overall pick in the second round of the\u00a0inaugural\u00a0PWHL Draft.\u00a0Before turning pro, O\u2019Neill starred at Cornell University where she served as captain for three seasons and tallied 145 points\u00a0(81G)\u00a0in 125 games, earning\u00a0Ivy League Rookie of the Year (2017) and\u00a0Ivy League\u00a0Player of the Year (2018) honors. Internationally, she has represented Team Canada,\u00a0with\u00a0five\u00a0straight\u00a0medals (three gold, two silver)\u00a0playing for Head Coach Troy Ryan\u00a0at the IIHF Women\u2019s World\u00a0Championship, and\u00a0made her Olympic Winter Games debut in 2026 at Milano\u00a0Cortina,\u00a0earning\u00a0a silver medal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Each expansion team\u202fwas granted\u202fone binding EFO\u202fto pursue a player\u202fon an expiring PWHL contract\u202fthrough a premium multi-year contract opportunity. Players who received\u202fan EFO\u202fwere\u202fpermitted\u202fto\u202fchoose a contract length ranging from one to four years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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With\u00a0PWHL San Jose,\u00a0O\u2019Neill joins\u00a0fellow forward and former\u00a0Sirens\u00a0teammate\u00a0Anne Cherkowski, defender\u00a0and fellow\u00a0Cornell\u00a0alumna\u00a0Rory Guilday,\u00a0and goaltender Corinne Schroeder, each signed to two-year contracts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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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,\u202fallows each expansion team to build the foundation of its roster by acquiring five players through signings and, if necessary, a player selection process.\u202fOnly players\u202fidentified\u202fon an expansion team\u2019s\u202finitial\u202f20-player Exclusive Negotiation Target List are eligible to be signed during Phase 2.\u202fExisting teams can lose a maximum of three players who are under contract for the 2026-27 season during this phase.\u202fRead the full rules\u202fhere<\/a>.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n A complete\u202flist of\u202fplayer signings\u202fand transactions\u202fis available on the\u202fofficial\u202fPWHL Transactions Page<\/a>.\u202fTo see the full overview of the status of PWHL player contracts\u202fahead of Phase 2, visit the PWHL Contract Guide\u202fhere<\/a>.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n ABOUT PWHL\u202fSAN JOSE\u202f\u00a0 PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. \u00a9 PWHL 2026. All Rights Reserved.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
PWHL\u202fSan Jose\u202fis one of 12 teams in the Professional Women\u2019s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women\u2019s hockey players in the world. PWHL\u202fSan Jose\u202fwas\u202fofficially announced<\/a>\u202fas one of the league\u2019s four new expansion teams on May 19\u202fand will debut at\u202fSAP Center\u202fin the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit\u202fhere
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