Pandas coach on brink of 500th victory

When you chat with University of Alberta Pandas head coach Howie Draper about some of his favourite moments over 20 years behind the bench, he can’t pick just one — but that’s understandable when you’ve accomplished as much as he has as the only head coach the Pandas hockey program has ever known.

Draper is about to hit another career milestone — his 500th career victory. It may come this weekend when the Pandas host the defending Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds. Pretty impressive coming from a guy who didn’t see himself coaching.

“I was working with people with mental disabilities … vocational training, but I always felt that I was destined to do something else,” said Draper, who holds a career coaching record of 499-126-11.

He had been working at Golden Bears hockey camps when he was approached by athletic director Ian Reade to get involved with the university.

A year later he was offered the job to start the Pandas’ hockey program. He’s developed the Pandas into the most successful women’s hockey program in the country.

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I fell into an awesome job. It’s been tremendous,” said Draper, who has helped guide the Pandas to seven CIS national championships — the most in the decorated history of athletics at the University of Alberta.

The Pandas became the model for every school in the Canada West. Under Draper, the program won their first national championship in 2000.

The Pandas didn’t lose a regular season game between 2000-05 — a streak of 86 straight wins.