Howie Draper
Howie Draper is a Canadian ice hockey coach for the University of Alberta. He has the most wins of any head coach in U Sports women's ice hockey history and was the inaugural head coach of PWHL New York.
Career
Prior to his coaching career, Draper played five years of college ice hockey at the University of Alberta, totalling nine goals and 48 points in 115 games.Draper coached the University of Alberta women's ice hockey team from 1997 to 2023, winning 14 Canada West titles and eight national championships, more than any other coach in U Sports women's ice hockey history. On January 10, 2020, Draper became the first coach to surpass 600 wins since the addition of women's hockey to U Sports with a 3–0 victory over Mount Royal University. He was named coach of the year in 2002, 2004, 2009, and 2019.
On September 15, 2023, the newly established Professional Women's Hockey League announced the coaches for its inaugural six franchises, including Draper as head coach of New York. New York struggled immensely under Draper, finishing in last place with a 5-4-3-12 record and at one point going over two months without a regulation win. Players on the team had reportedly asked for a change in coaching staff, with some describing the culture of the team as "toxic". On May 11, 2024, Draper and New York mutually agreed that he would not return as head coach in the fall. He remained on the team's staff as a special advisor within the scouting department.
Draper returned as head coach for the University of Alberta in the 2024–25 season.