Players of San Jose's new professional women's hockey team excited to build in Bay Area

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A new professional women's hockey team in San Jose is beginning to take shape, with the league announcing its first five foundational players tasked with building the expansion franchise.

The additions come as women's professional sports continue to gain momentum across the Bay Area, joining teams such as Bay FC and the Golden State Valkyries.

The new Professional Women's Hockey League team is expected to begin play next season.

Kristin O'Neill, one of the first players signed, said she is eager to help grow the sport locally and connect with fans.

"The appetite is real in the area, and it's so exciting for us, for me and my future teammates, to be able to grow hockey in this area," O'Neill said. "I'm really looking forward and really excited to represent these people, these fans and this area."

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O'Neill joins Maddi Wheeler, Anne Cherkowski, Rory Guilday and goaltender Corrine Schroeder as the team's initial signings. The players are considered "foundational," a designation used by the league for those expected to help establish the identity and future of a new franchise.

Schroeder brings experience as a PWHL history-maker, having recorded the league's first shutout. San Jose will mark her third team in as many seasons after playing on an expansion team in Seattle last year.

"I haven't been (to San Jose), but I'm really excited to visit and start to call it my home now," Schroeder said. "Having that experience of expanding to Seattle, I think there's a lot that I've learned this past year, and that will really be important to take forward."

Interest in the team has already been strong. Following the announcement of the San Jose franchise, thousands of fans requested season tickets within hours, reflecting growing enthusiasm for women's hockey in the region.

San Jose ranks sixth in the nation for girls' hockey participation, despite lacking a professional women's team or a Division 1 college program, highlighting what players see as an opportunity to expand the sport's reach.

Wheeler said the team hopes to help fill that gap and inspire the next generation.

"That's a huge part, kind of a gap that we can work to fill and be role models for these girls," Wheeler said. "I think it's going to be great to kind of be leaders in that way and role models and contribute to the women's sports movement in the Bay Area."

As the franchise prepares for its inaugural season, players say they understand both the opportunity and responsibility that comes with being the first to represent the team. They say they are ready to help establish a foundation -- on and off the ice -- when San Jose takes the ice next season.