PWHL Las Vegas signs Tessa Janecke to two-year contract
One of the top prospects in women’s hockey has signed her first contract.
On Tuesday, PWHL Las Vegas announced that the team has signed forward Tessa Janecke to a two-year contract that will run through the 2027-28 season.
Janecke was taken by one of the newest franchises in the league with the third-overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft. She was one of two picks made by Las Vegas in the first round, as general manager Dominique DiDia also selected University of Wisconsin star Lacey Eden fifth overall.
How Las Vegas got the No. 3 pick remains controversial in some circles, as the team traded Hilary Knight to Detroit for the selection spot, though the move was seen as a sign-and-trade in the week leading up to the draft.
The 22-year-old didn’t hit 50 points for the third year in a row, but she certainly ended her college career on a high note. The Orangeville, Ill. native was named the AHA Forward and Player of the Year for the third straight year. She scored 26 goals and 22 assists for 45 points in 31 games this season, good for 14th in the NCAA in scoring, and was named one of the three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top player in women’s college hockey.
Not only did she help Penn State win a fourth straight AHA championship, but the Orangeville, Ill., native also helped the team reach the Women’s Frozen Four for the first time, ultimately losing to the eventual national champion Wisconsin Badgers in the national semifinals.
In 145 games with the Nittany Lions, Janecke scored 89 goals and 112 assists for 201 points.
Along with an illustrious college career, Janecke has tasted glory on the world stage. She has been part of the United States team that has won gold at the 2023 and 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship, scoring the game-winning goal in the ladder, as well as taking home gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.