Rapaces de Gap

Rapaces de Gap Hockey

The Gap Hockey Club plays in the SaxoPrint league Magnus, the highest professional hockey league in France. The Gap Hockey Club is one of the most decorated clubs in French hockey with 29 national titles, (most recently for the 2014/2015 season) 37 podium finishes, two invitations to play in the Euro Cup, 1 Coupe des As, as well as 22 players who've worn their country's jersey for international games. The 27 year old French forward, Kevin Da Costa, proved himself to be an invaluable player with the Club de Drakkars of Caen after carrying them to a championship title in 2009 to 2010. In 2014-2015 he joined the Gap Hockey Club to help them win their own title after just 2 years. Kevin is a forward who works best when outnumbered on the ice, using his speed to storm the goal.

Profile

Profile

Founded
1937

League
Ligue Magnus (1. French Hockey League)

Sporting achievements

Sporting achievements
Championship Wins
1977, 1978, 2016

Division 1 Champions
1996, 2009

Coupe de la Ligue
2016

How often do you train per week and what does a typical training session look like?

We normally train 5 to 6 times a week with 2 matches in that same week. Before getting on the ice, we hit the weights and analyse videos of past games to perfect our team synergy. Once on the ice, we begin with drills and conditioning - then we move to practicing our plays and set pieces. We then end our session with a scrimmage.

Does your team have a pre-game ritual or routine?

Each player has his own little ritual - we don't really have a team tradition, per say - except for a small game we play in the locker room where we pass the puck to each other without the puck ever touching the ground.

How does your team get fired up before a game?

The match itself is our true motivation really, since we've trained hard for that moment. Encouraging cheers or yells from the bench or even the famous 'talk' from the coach between periods never fails to fire us up.

How do you celebrate a victory?

We celebrate the victory with music and cheering in the locker room. It's a special moment with the team just after winning a close match.

What does owayo mean for you?

For me, owayo means a quality product that lets you play at your very best.

What do you think of owayo's jerseys?

I regard them very highly. They remind me of NHL jerseys. We especially like the fight straps on the back of the jerseys.