Tuesday brought a double dose of news for PWHL San Jose: the new franchise opened ticket sales for early buyers and added two more names to its roster for the years ahead.
Fans who placed deposits when the team was announced in the spring were first in line. Nearly 2,000 people reportedly put down a $50-per-seat deposit within the first 24 hours of PWHL San Jose’s official founding. The league has not said exactly how many deposits were ultimately made, but presales are expected to remain open until Friday before tickets move to the general public.
For now, the team is only offering seats in the bottom bowl of SAP Center. PWHL San Jose’s schedule will include 15 home games, plus a possible playoff run if the team qualifies.
On the hockey side, the club announced three-year standard player agreements for forward Sloane Matthews and goaltender Tia Chan, keeping both players in San Jose through 2028-29 barring any major changes in the league.
Matthews was the team’s second-round pick, 16th overall, in the 2026 PWHL draft. She spent four seasons at The Ohio State University, won a National Title in 2024 and finished her college career with 104 points, including 48 goals and 56 assists, in 161 games. With her signing, Matthews becomes the eighth forward under contract for PWHL San Jose.
Chan, meanwhile, was taken in the third round, 28th overall, and arrives after a standout season at the University of Connecticut. The 24-year-old was named the 2025-26 Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year after posting a 1.55 goals-against average in 37 appearances and a .951 save percentage. She now joins Corinne Schroeder and Abbey Levy in the crease, making her the third goaltender under contract for the team.
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Among the more notable developments was the preseason NHL debut of Ivar Stenberg, who drew attention for his work in both the defensive end and the transition game. Those kinds of performances matter most in October because they hint at how quickly young players can earn trust, and San Jose left this one with a better feel for several of its prospects - even if the final question around how much of that promise translates into lasting lineup decisions still hangs in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Suddenly Have Two Early Roster Questions Before Opening Night
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Across the division, the Ducks are already dealing with a more immediate kind of uncertainty. Drew Helleson and A.J. Greer are both banged up enough that their availability for the season opener is in question, which leaves Anaheim facing early lineup decisions before the games even start to count. For a team trying to get established, opening night availability matters, and these are the kinds of issues that can complicate the first week of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Top Sharks Prospect Faces One Early Test Before Preseason
Ivar Stenberg arrived at Sharks training camp with the kind of reputation that gets attention fast, and the 18-year-old has already spent his first days trying to translate that promise into the details San Jose wants from him. He is learning the team's system while also getting used to the smaller North American rink, a change that can reshape everything from spacing to decision-making. Coach Ryan Warsofsky has noticed the playmaking touch, which is part of why the prospect is in the conversation at all.
The next test is less about talent than adjustment, and Stenberg knows the game here can ask different questions than the one he came from. He has talked about advice from Alex Wennberg and his linemates as he settles in, while also taking on the physical side of the North American game. For a player trying to make an impression before preseason even begins, the margin for error is already thin. [Read more 🡒]