Draft Night Shock: Jessymaude Drapeau Falls Through the Cracks

Concordia Stingers Captain Jessymaude Drapeau at the U Sports Championship / Rebecca Labaj

The 2026 PWHL Entry Draft was one to remember with a record number of declared players, Olympians from across the world and a major expansion, though it wasn’t without surprises. One of the biggest being Jessymaude Drapeau not hearing her name called. The Concordia Captain ended her U Sports career as one of the most decorated women’s hockey players in U Sports history with a pair of gold and silver medals, capping off her career with the Broderick Trophy as the U Sports Player of the Year. 

This season, the Quebec native put up 39 points in 24 games, marking a new career high. Throughout her time with the Stingers, Drapeau recorded 150 points in 124 games, averaging 1.2 points per game, with 69 goals and 81 assists. Beyond being an incredible player on the ice, Drapeau's leadership has been instrumental for the Stingers program. 

A player like this falling through the cracks makes for a unique path to greatness in the PWHL, as Jessymaude Drapeau is eligible as a free-agent, leaving her lots of options as teams look to rebuild after expansion. One major possibility is the reunion with Concordia teammate Emilie Lavoie, who was selected by the Montreal Victoire with the last pick in the 2026 Draft. 

Not being drafted might be the best thing that ever happened to Jessymaude Drapeau as she now gets to forge her own path as she looks to make her mark in the PWHL.