WATERLOO, Ont. – Leading the UBC Thunderbirds to a record-breaking regular season with 26 wins and 52 points,
Graham Thomas has been named 2025-26 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Coach of the Year.
The second national honour for the Calgary native is also his first since his inaugural season with the blue and gold back in 2012-13.
Thomas was honoured Wednesday evening at the U SPORTS All-Canadian gala held at the University of Waterloo where fifth-year Thunderbird forward
Grace Elliott and third-year defender
Jaylyn Morris were both named first team All-Canadians.
2025-26 saw the Thunderbirds finish first in conference wins, points, goals (85), goals against (24), power play (19.5%) and penalty kill (92.8%). Under Thomas' guidance, UBC has lost just 13 of 112 regular season games over the past four seasons and has earned a berth at a fifth straight U SPORTS National Championship which gets underway Thursday at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira.
Thomas' 254 career regular season wins is now fourth all-time in Canada West history. Over the course of his 14 seasons with the T-Birds, Thomas has won seven conference championships along with a U SPORTS silver medal and two national bronze.
Elliott's first team All-Canadian nod marks the second straight such honour for the Canada West Player of the Year while it marks Morris' first such selection.
The Thunderbirds begin play at the National Championship Friday at 12:00 p.m. PT when they take on the Université de Montréal Carabins with a berth in Saturday's semifinals on the line.
2025-26 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Awards
Player of the Year
Jessymaude Drapeau, Concordia (Quebec)
Rookie of the Year
Jada Wood, Queen's
Coach of the Year
Graham Thomas, UBC
Student-Athlete Community Service Award
Béatrice Bilodeau, Ottawa
First Team All-Canadians
Grace Elliott, UBC
Jaylyn Morris, UBC
Abigail MacKenzie, Saint Mary's
Katie Sweeney, St. Thomas
Jessymaude Drapeau, Concordia (Quebec)
Sophie Hudson, Queen's
Second Team All-Canadians
Émelie Lussier, Concordia (Quebec)
Gabrielle Santerre, Bishop's
Émelie Lavoie, Concordia (Quebec)
Abby Whitworth, Toronto
Teagan Pare, Windsor
Sarah Howell, Laurier
All-Rookie Team
Toby Graham, St. Francis Xavier
Sandrine Chouinard, Bishop's
Angélie Jobin, Concordia (Quebec)
Jada Wood, Queen's
Isa MacPhee, Mount Royal
Amy Swayze, Regina
