Jakob Drapeau’s performance in 10 games with the Powell River Kings impressed UVic Vikes coach Alec Dillon.
After seeing game tape of Drapeau during the B.C. Hockey League Pod season, the Vikes signed the Storm goalie, who reached out to them.
“It’s a great location, and they recently got a new coach, who said he is pretty goalie focused. It seemed like it would be a good fit for me,” says Drapeau, who had three wins with the Kings and an .854 save percentage.
The Prince George native spent three seasons with the Storm, where he won 15 games and had a .925 save percentage during the 2019-20 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League season.
Playing in the KIJHL helped Drapeau develop considerably. With the Storm, he practiced four times a week, had workouts and they worked on a lot of areas. They also practiced with the Kamloops Blazers and other WHL teams, which he enjoyed and said it pushed them. Working with talented players helped them with their hockey sense and making quicker decisions with the puck.
While with the Kings, Drapeau was able to push himself to play a quicker technical style as he adapted to the faster BCHL game upon joining the BCHL club when the KIJHL cancelled its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think I did OK,” says Drapeau of his play with the Kings. “It was a young team so we weren’t the strongest in the defensive end. We did well overall and I liked how I tracked the puck and controlled my rebounds.”
This past season with the Storm, the five-foot-11, 185 pound goalie improved his puck-handling skills and rebound placement. His off-season work to be ready for the fall B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season has involved improving his speed and building on his development.
The Vikes men’s hockey program have won four BCIHL championships.
