EDMONTON – After 26 years of leading the Pandas Hockey program, Howie Draper will add a new chapter to his coaching career. Draper was named the head coach of the Professional Women's Hockey League's (PWHL) New York franchise on Friday.
 
Draper has been the only head coach the Pandas Hockey team has ever had, guiding the program since they began competing in 1997. Over his 26 seasons behind the bench, Draper has led the Pandas to 14 Canada West championships and eight U SPORTS titles, both of which are all-time records.
 
"I'm honoured to have been selected to help lead the New York Women's Hockey Team this season," said Draper.
 
"I have mixed feelings about taking this step, obviously. On one hand, I am excited to be stretching myself and seeing what might be possible at that level of the game. On the other, I leave a group of athletes and coaches that I truly love working with on a day-to-day basis. 
 
The maturity and character that exists among this group gives me every confidence that they will do great things in my absence."
 
Amassing 667 wins during his time with the Pandas, Draper is the winningest coach in U SPORTS women's hockey history. He is one of only four University of Alberta coaches to win over 600 games, joining Laurie Eisler (869), Terry Danyluk (761), and Clare Drake (720). His 429 Canada West wins are second only to Eisler's 440 among UofA coaches.
 
Among his endless list of accomplishments, he has also been named the Canada West Coach of the Year eight times (2023, 2019, 2011, 2009, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000), and the U SPORTS Coach of the Year four times (2019, 2009, 2004, 2002).
 
Outside of his UofA resume, Draper also has extensive international coaching experience, most recently guiding Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 World Under-18 Championship in Wisconsin. He has also spent time as an assistant coach with the Women's National Team, and was the head coach of the 2013 Canadian FISU Team in Trentino, Italy.
 
"Our tradition of excellence with our varsity teams are the by-product of our tremendous head coaches, and Howie is a perfect example of that. His on-ice accomplishments speak for themselves, but off the ice, he has helped countless young women become leaders and role models in the community," said Interim Director of Athletics Katie Spriggs.
 
"He has been a strong advocate for women's sport, and we are all very excited for this opportunity for Howie. While it will be different not seeing him behind the bench each weekend, our experienced assistant coaches and support staff have done well whenever Howie was away coaching internationally, and I know they will handle this transition period as well."
 
Long-time assistant coach Darren Bilawchuk will be the acting head coach of the Pandas, with Athletics working quickly to solidify the coaching staff for the 2023/24 season. Bilawchuk has been an assistant coach with the Pandas since 2014, and was the recipient of the R.G. Glassford coaching award in 2022.
 
Prior to taking over the Pandas, Draper was a five-year member of the Golden Bears Hockey team (1985-1990), winning the 1986 CIS Championship and the 1989 Canada West Championship. He also spent a season coaching the MacQuarie Bears of the Australian Ice Hockey League following his playing career.
 
The newly formed PWHL features three teams in the U.S. and three teams in Canada. The American franchises are located in Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and the New York City area. The Canadian franchises are located in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. The inaugural player draft is scheduled for Monday, September 18^th.
 
"In the conversations that I've had with General Manager Pascal Daoust over the last few days, it is evident that the organization and the rest of the league are embracing values similar to my own," concluded Draper. "Although the competition on the ice will be the main focus, the collaborative spirit and common goal to build an exciting, sustainable league where some of the best athletes in the world can display their skill and passion for the game can't be understated. I'm excited and proud to be a part of it."
 
The 2024 PWHL season schedule will be announced in the coming months. It is expected to run from early January through late May or early June. Details on home arenas, team names and logos are forthcoming.