RED DEER, Alta. - RED DER, Alta. – The latest in a long line of accolades for Howie Draper came on Wednesday, as the head coach of Pandas Hockey was inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. 
 
In a loaded 2025 class, Draper will go into the Hall of Fame alongside fellow inductees Ryan Smyth, Joe Nieuwendyk, Cliff Fletcher, Carla MacLeod, Garry Unger, and the 1995 Calgary Canucks.
 
Draper has led the Pandas for all but one year of their existence, winning a record 15 Canada West and eight U SPORTS Championships in his 27 years behind the bench. Most recently, Draper led the Pandas to a Canada West title this past March, upsetting the top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds in a two-game sweep in Vancouver.
 
The winningest coach in U SPORTS Women's Hockey history, Draper owns 699 overall wins and 444 Canada West wins. His 444 conference victories are the most by any coach in University of Alberta history.
 
Among his 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.

Prior to his coaching career, Draper was a standout on the Golden Bears Hockey team, patrolling the blue-line from 1985-1990 under head coaches Clare Drake and Billy Moores. As a student-athlete, he helped lead the Bears to a 1986 University Cup title, and 1989 Canada West Championship.
 
The 2025 Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on July 19th at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer.