The Alberta Pandas ice hockey team represents the University of Alberta in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association of U Sports. The team was led by head coach Howie Draper from 1997 (the year the team joined U Sports) until 2023, when Draper left to become head coach of PWHL New York. The current head coach is Darren Bilawchuk. The program has won the most Canada West conference championships with 15 and the most U Sports national championships with eight.

On January 25, 2011, it was announced that the 1999–2000 University of Alberta Pandas hockey team would be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

History

In the era of the First World War, the University of Alberta formed men's ice hockey and women's ice hockey teams. The women's team played many community based teams.

The University of Alberta played the Edmonton Monarchs in the Monarchs first ever game in 1918.Women on Ice: The Early Years of Women's Hockey in Western Canada, Wayne Norton, p.136, Ronsdale Press, 2009, The city of Edmonton would organize women's ice hockey into three divisions in 1930: junior, intermediate and senior. The Edmonton Monarchs and the University of Alberta were the only teams that comprised the senior division.Women on Ice: The Early Years of Women's Hockey in Western Canada, Wayne Norton, p.140, Ronsdale Press, 2009, In that same year, the University of Alberta would challenge the Edmonton Monarchs for the Alpine Cup. The Monarchs prevailed by a 1–0 score. By 1934, the University of Alberta was demoted to the intermediate division. In 1937, the University of Alberta competed for the Alpine Cup, contested at the Banff Winter Carnival. The club lost to the Calgary Avenue Grills team.

U Sports On March 14, 2004, the Pandas won their third consecutive National Championship and their fourth in five years. The Pandas became the first team to win three consecutive championships which remains unmatched as of 2020. The win came courtesy of a 2–0 tally over the Ottawa Gee-Gees. For the season, the Pandas went 20–0–0 in Canada West play, 7–0 in the postseason, and a 35–0–0 overall mark.http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/expressnews_template/article.cfm?id=5647 U Sports Player of the Year Danielle Bourgeois scored both goals in the game as Alberta outshot Ottawa 45–14 overall. The game-winning goal was assisted by Canadian national team member Delaney Collins. With the triumph, the Pandas ran their undefeated streak against U Sports opponents to 81 games. During the streak, their last loss to a U Sports team was on October 13, 2001.

On March 14, 2010, the Pandas won the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship which was their seventh title in the 13 years since the tournament's inception. In the gold-medal game, they defeated the McGill Martlets by a score of 2–0. While the program did not have as much of a dominant national run in the next decade, the team managed to claim their eighth national championship in 2017 after once again defeating the Martlets in double overtime by a score of 2–1. It was also the first time that the Pandas had won the National championship while not winning their conference championship in the same year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and financial reasons, the University of Alberta announced that the Pandas would not participate in the 2020–21 season, if one were to be held. Former Pandas Hockey defender, Taylor Kezama, a 2017 U Sports National Champion, and a 2019 Canada West champion, was one of 18 former U Sports student-athletes announced among the inaugural participants of the U SPORTS Female Apprenticeship Coach Program.

Year by year National Tournament championsConference champions

Season Coach Conf. Record Overall Postseason1997–98Howie Draper None 3–1–0 Fifth, CIAU tournament1998–99Howie Draper 4–1–1 20–8–3 Second, CIAU tournament1999-00Howie Draper 15–1–1 26–3–1 CIAU tournament champions2000–01Howie Draper 13–1–2 20–6–2 Did not qualify2001–02Howie Draper 16–0–033–1–0 CIS tournament champions2002–03Howie Draper 19–0–134–0–1 CIS tournament champions2003–04Howie Draper 20–0–035–0–0 CIS tournament champions2004–05Howie Draper 20–0–028–1–0 Second, CIS tournament2005–06Howie Draper 16–1–327–3–3 CIS tournament champions2006–07Howie Draper 21–333–4–1 CIS tournament champions2007–08Howie Draper 21–2–129–5–1 Fourth, CIS tournament2008–09Howie Draper 22–2 26–5 Did not qualify2009–10Howie Draper 23–1–033–1 CIS tournament champions2010–11Howie Draper 17–7 25–14 Fifth, CIS tournament2011–12Howie Draper 14–10 23–16 Fifth, CIS tournament2012–13Howie Draper 16–12 25–16 Did not qualify2013–14Howie Draper 20–8 23–11 Did not qualify2014–15Howie Draper 20–8 28–14 Eighth, CIS tournament2015–16Howie Draper 16–12 21–14 Did not qualify2016–17Howie Draper 21–7 36–9 U Sports tournament champions2017–18Howie Draper 19–9 27–12 Did not qualify2018–19Howie Draper 23–5 33–7 Fourth, U Sports tournament2019–20Howie Draper 20–8 28–10 Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.2020–21Cancelled due financial reasons caused by the COVID-19 pandemic 2021–22Howie Draper13–722–11Did not qualify2022–23Howie Draper21–728–12Did not qualify2023–24Darren Bilawchuk (interim)21–730–10Did not qualify

Awards and honours U Sports honours Brodrick Trophy (U Sports Most Valuable Player): Lori Shupak (2002), Danielle Bourgeois (2004, 2005), Lindsay McAlpine (2007), Tarin Podloski (2009), Alex Poznikoff (2019) U Sports Rookie of the Year: Danielle Bourgeois (2000), Madison Willan (2020) Marion Hillard Award (Student-Athlete Community Service): Taryn Barry (2007), Janelle Froehler (2016) Fox 40 U Sports Coach of the Year award: Howie Draper (2002, 2004, 2009, 2019) Kirsten Chamberlin, U Sports Athlete of the Month, February 2020

U Sports Tournament honours U Sports Championship Most Valuable Player: Danielle Bourgeois (2002, 2004), Tarin Podloski (2006), Lindsay McAlpine (2007), Stephanie Ramsay (2010), Lindsey Post (2017)

All-Canadian selections Danielle Bourgeois, 2003 CIS First Team All-Canadian Judy Diduck, 2003 CIS Second Team All-Canadian Lori Shupak, 2003 CIS Second Team All-Canadian Danielle Bourgeois, 2004 CIS First Team All-Canadian Delaney Collins, 2004 CIS First Team All-Canadian Judy Diduck, 2004 CIS First Team All-Canadian Kristen Hagg, 2006 CIS First Team All-Canadian Tarin Podloski, 2006 CIS Second-Team All-Canadian Lindsay McAlpine, 2007 CIS First Team All-Canadian Tarin Podloski, 2007 CIS Second Team All-Canadian Rayanee Reeve, 2007 CIS Second Team All-Canadian Nicole Pratt, 2010 All-CIS Second Team selection Tarin Podloski, 2010 All-CIS Second Team selection

All-Rookie Team selections Jessica Kampjes: 2012–13 USports All-Rookie Team

Canada West honors Canada West All-Stars

First Team

Autumn MacDougall, Forward, 2017–18 Canada West First-Team Alex Poznikoff, Forward, 2017–18 Canada West First-Team Grace Glover, Goaltender, 2024–25 Canada West First-Team

Second Team

Cayle Dillon, Defense, 2017–18 Canada West Second-Team Taylor Kezama, Defense, 2017–18 Canada West Second-Team Madison Willan, Forward, 2022–23 Canada West Second-Team Taylor Anker, Defense, 2024–25 Canada West Second-Team Brooklyn Tews, Defense, 2024–25 Canada West Second-Team Abby Soyko, Forward, 2024–25 Canada West Second-Team Madison Willan, Forward, 2024–25 Canada West Second-Team Abby Soyko, Forward, 2025–26 Canada West Second-Team

Canada West All-Rookie Abby Krzyzaniak, Defense, 2017–18 Canada West All-Rookie

Team MVP Season MVP 1997–98Krysty Lorenz1998–99Lori Shupak1999-002000–01Stacey McCullough2001–022002–032003–042004–05Danielle Bourgeois2005–06Kristen Hagg2006–07Lindsay McAlpine2007–08Jennifer Newton2008–09Tarin Podloski2009–10Dana Vinge

University honours Kristen Haag: 2021 inductee – University of Alberta Sports Wall of Fame

International Winter Universiade Andrea Boras 2009 Winter Universiade, 2011 Winter Universiade (gold medal) Leah Copeland : 2009 Winter Universiade Jennifer Newton : 2009 Winter Universiade Stephanie Ramsay : 2009 Winter Universiade Rayanne Reeve : 2009 Winter Universiade Tess Houston : 2015 Winter Universiade Jessica Kampjes : 2015 Winter Universiade Alex Poznikoff, Forward, : 2017 Winter Universiade Madison Willan, Forward, : 2023 Winter Universiade (gold medal)

Olympians Player Event Result Judy Diduck Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Silver

Pandas in pro hockey = CWHL All-Star = NWHL All-Star= Clarkson Cup Champion= Isobel Cup Champion

Player Position Team(s)League(s)YearsTitles Megan Eady Melbourne IceSDE AWIHLSDHL Michala JefferiesGoaltenderSydney SirensAWIHL1 Autumn MacDougall Forward Buffalo Beauts NWHL Lindsey Post Goaltender Calgary InfernoSDE HF CWHLSDHL 4

Pandas selected in the CWHL Draft The following were selected in the 2010 CWHL Draft. Player Position Team SelectionDelaney CollinsDefense Brampton Thunder #5

References

External links