Vanessa Upson (born November 18, 2003) is a Canadian ice hockey player who is a forward for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
She played college ice hockey for the Mercyhurst Lakers from 2021 to 2025, totaling 147 points in 148 games. Upson was selected in the fifth round, 38th overall, by the Minnesota Frost in the 2025 PWHL Draft.
Early life Upson is from Stoney Creek, Ontario. She played minor hockey with the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs of the OMHA, winning a gold medal in 2012 and a bronze medal in 2013.
She attended St. John Henry Newman high school, playing on numerous sports teams, including the Cardinal Newman girls' hockey team. She played club hockey with the AA U22 Stoney Creek Sabres in the Provincial Women's Hockey League. With the Sabres, she scored a goal in the third round of the shootout to help the team win the bronze medal at the 2019 Esso Cup. Upson was named an alternate captain for the 2020–21 season.
Her youth highlights include participation with Team Ontario at the Ontario Summer Games, an invitation to a Hockey Canada U18 summer camp.
As a grade 12 honour roll student, she committed to Mercyhurst University.
Playing career College Prior to her 2021–22 freshman season, she was voted as CHA Preseason Co-Rookie of the year. Upson led Mercyhurst with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 35 games and was named USCHO National Rookie of the Year and CHA Rookie of the Year. She earned All-CHA First Team and CHA All-Rookie Team honors, and was selected to the USCHO All-Rookie Team and named USCHO Rookie of the Year. She led all NCAA Division I freshmen in points, goals, and assists and was named CHA Rookie of the month four times and CHA Forward of the Month twice. She was named CHA Forward of the Week three times and Rookie of the Week twice.
She posted 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 37 games as a sophomore in 2022–23.
In 2023–24 she was named an alternate captain and recorded 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists) in 38 games, earned CHA All-Tournament Team honors, won the conference’s Individual Sportsmanship Award, and tied a CHA postseason single-game record with five points in a semifinal game.
Upson was named captain in her 2024–25 senior year, After the CHA transitioned to Atlantic Hockey America (AHA), Upson led Mercyhurst with 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 38 games, topping the league in assists. She was named First Team All-AHA and the league’s January Player of the Month.
Professional On June 24, 2025, the Minnesota Frost selected Upson with the 38th pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Following pre-season training camp, she signed a one-year contract with the Frost prior to the 2025–26 season.
Career statistics Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2021–22 Mercyhurst University CHA 35 19 20 39 8 — — — — — 2022–23 Mercyhurst University CHA 37 16 12 28 12 — — — — — 2023–24 Mercyhurst University CHA 38 17 20 37 8 — — — — — 2024–25 Mercyhurst University AHA 38 13 30 43 4 — — — — — 2025–26 Minnesota Frost PWHL 28 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 0 0NCAA totals 148 65 82 147 32 — — — — —PWHL totals 28 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 Source: College Hockey Inc.; HockeyDB; Mercyhurst Athletics.
Awards and honours Honour Year(s) + College Awards USCHO National Rookie of the Year 2022 CHA Rookie of the Year 2022 All-CHA First Team 2022 CHA All-Rookie Team 2022 USCHO All-Rookie Team 2022 CHA Individual Sportsmanship Award 2024 CHA All-Tournament Team 2024 First Team All-AHA 2025
References
External links
USCHO profile Mercyhurst Lakers bio