OKOTOKS, AB (March 12, 2025) – Richmond, B.C.’s own Jamie Hikida doesn’t have a towering figure, but he sure knows how to come up big in key moments for the Okotoks Oilers during the 2024-2025 BCHL season.
The former Drumheller Dragon is in his first season with the Green and Gold after joining the team in the offseason with Cyle Clayton (Strathmore, AB), Coy Pighin (Nanton, AB), and Jacob Goudreau (St. Albert, AB) who were all Dragons last season.
The Vancouver area where Hikida grew up has seen an influx of top-end hockey talent enter the NHL, with names like Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks) and Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks) making names for themselves. Hikida believes that youth from the area seeing players like Celebrini and Bedard thriving in the NHL will only inspire more kids from the region to join the sport.
While many kids in the Okotoks area grew up around outdoor rinks (ODR), outdoor rinks are hard to come by due to the weather in Vancouver.
“Not outdoor rinks. I think I skated on an outdoor rink maybe twice in Vancouver, that’s it. So, last year (in Drumheller) was pretty cool, got out on the ODR,” Hikida explained.
Just because the ODR isn’t readily available throughout Vancouver doesn’t mean that lovers of the game of hockey haven’t found alternate ways to play the sport.
“I mean, you can rent half ice or like a half sheet of ice. When I was younger, we always just played road hockey. There was a bunch of kids in the neighbourhood, and we had some pretty good games back in the day,” he added.
Hikida joked that when he was really little, he would play with his big brother’s friends, and they would get him to play in net. While he would be in net during road hockey games when he was younger, when it came to playing on ice, Hikida has always been a forward.
“Ah, score goals. When I was younger, that’s all I could think about,” Hikida said about why he chose the forward position.
When asked what it was like growing up in Richmond, Hikida joked by saying there is a lot of rain. He would add that it is also a beautiful city, a great spot to live, and has plenty of things to do outside of hockey. As for Okotoks, Hikida is thoroughly enjoying his time living in the town.
“It’s been awesome, super nice community, super supportive fans, I have loved it so far,” he added.
It’s clear to see that Hikida is a team player as he’s always interacting with his team on off days and can be heard talking to the guys on the bench during game time.
“I think as a team, it’s super important to be super close because when playoffs come, we’re going to war together, and we gotta have good bonds,” Hikida said about the importance of having a tight-knit group.
Hikida is vocal when he’s on the ice, whether talking to his teammates on the bench or letting an opposing player know that he is willing to out-battle, anyone.
“I’ve kind of always done it,” he said about being vocal on the ice. “It makes me feel like I’m in the game like I’m in the fight all the time. If it can get on someone’s nerves and make them take a penalty, I’ll do it.”
The Green Army has been accustomed to not only his will to battle for every puck, but also coming up big with key goals, especially at home this season.
“Something about this building, I really like to play in it. Even last year, loved to play in Okotoks at the start of the year when they were still in the (AJHL). But yeah, I love to score in front of the fans,” Hikida said about his hot hands at Viking Rentals Centre.
Hikida has used his speed to get a head of opposing defences which has allowed him to separate himself from the pack and get breakaway opportunities. This season when Oilers fans have seen Hikida break in alone, the puck has found it’s way in the back of the net. Hikida said that when he’s coming down alone on the goalie he gets a bit a tunnel vision while focusing on his move and watching the movements of the goaltender before picking his spot.
Since arriving to Okotoks, Hikida has fit in like a glove with the group. He explained that having his former Dragon teammates in Clayton, Goudreau, and Pighin arrive at the same time helped vibe with the team quickly.
“Yeah, I mean coming into a new team, it’s obviously nerve racking, but having three really good buddies of mine come in with me was great,” he said. Hikida added that he’s happy that he has got to hangout a lot with the trio that came with him from Drumheller and mentioned that it also helped getting rid of any nerves going into training camp.
“In the summer we were kind of talking when Okotoks reached out. So it was kind of like ‘Yeah, I’ll see you guys at camp’, because I don’t live near any of them.”
Since joining the BCHL, Hikida has noticed that the league comes with some serious skill, it’s fast paced, the power play units are full of talent and that any mistake could end up with the puck in the back of your net. He added that in the BCHL, you have to know who your up against and be aware of where players are on the ice at all times.
While Hikida is playing for one of the five Alberta based teams in the BCHL, he gets to play against teams from his home province of B.C. which he grew up watching some of his older brothers friends play in the same league. He said last year playing in the AJHL was different as he didn’t know most of the teams before joining the league where now he plays against teams like Langley and Coquitlam which were places his brother’s friends played for.
Not only can high-end hockey talent be seen on the ice, but each team comes with a coaching staff that has a plethora of experience including Surrey Eagles head coach Scott Gomez, and as Hikida said the Oilers coach Tyler Deis. Hikida mentioned he feels lucky to be learning from the Oilers bench boss.
“He’s been really good, like super up front, telling me how it is and I like that. It’s like, know my flaws and let’s work on it kind of thing. I’ve loved him so far. He’s been great,” Hikida said about Deis.
He added that he loves that Deis is about developing his players, looking to correct problems when they show themselves, working on the fine details, along with working on skills during practice rather than just working on systems.
Last season marked the first time Hikida had ever moved away from home and explained that it felt weird at first.
“It was hard, a little harder at first. Growing up with a brother and a sister, it was kind of almost weird. But, I had great billets in Drum, and I have great billets here, and I feel it’s been just so easy to move into a different home. They’ve just made it so easy to play hockey away from home,” he said about his billet families helping him get comfortable while being away from home.
Hikida’s older brother Josh and his younger sister Emma both share the love of hockey him as they have all played the sport.
“They were good,” Hikida said about growing up with his two siblings. “Having an older brother kind of like picking on you and making you work harder when we’re playing road hockey and stuff. Then my little sister is so kind, like such a nice person. She plays hockey.”
Hikida joked and said that his brother and he would put Emma in net while taking shots at her while they played road hockey. She would stand between the pipes for a while until she felt that her brothers shots were getting a bit too hard.
While Hikida along with his siblings play hockey, his parents Rick and Michelle both grew up playing a soccer.
“They’ve been great, I talk to them every day. They’re super supportive. My dad played super high level soccer, so he’s kind of shown me the way. He doesn’t like to give too many tips and be like hard on me. He’s helped me along the way, and just them being super positive, like always helping me,” he said about his parents support.
Rick and Michelle have been down a few times to Okotoks since Hikida joined the team. He said that some family friends of his live in Lethbridge plan on retiring in Okotoks and have tried to convince Hikida’s parents to do the same.
As for the Green Army, Hikida has appreciated the number of fans who have come out to cheer the team on and the passion they have for the team.
“They’ve been great. I know a couple of people have came up to me and said that they love the way I play, and that feels great. I want to go out there every home game and show my best for them. They’ve been great for us.”
10 questions with Jamie Hikida
What is the most embarrassing song on your current playlist?
“Maybe something by Megan Moroney. I feel like I have a couple songs somewhere on my playlist.
What is your go-to cheat meal?
“Probably chicken nuggets, fries, and a chocolate milkshake.”
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?
“Probably go with Sidney Crosby, he’s just a winner. I’d like to hear what he has to say about the game.”
Favourite player and team growing up?
“Vancouver Canucks and Quinn Hughes.”
Favourite movie and TV show growing up?
“TV show, probably go with Suits. Then movie, my parents told me to watch Shawshank Redemption this year on the bus. It was so good.”
Would you rather go to the past or the future?
“That’s a tough one, maybe the future just to see how things are over there. Probably go outside to see if there’s flying cars or something crazy”
What song gets you pumped up?
“Some of the Drum boys, we listen to Big Iron (Marty Robbins). That’s kind of our song, so I’ll go with that.”
Best chirp you have ever said or heard?
“I heard someone say they were trying to fight someone, I can’t remember how they said it, but they were like I’m not fighting you, I want you on the ice or something.”
Where in the world would you go if I could snap my fingers and get you there?
“Maybe, Japan. I feel like that would be super cool. I’m half Japanese, so yeah.”
Who on the team would you have as an emergency contact?
“Probably Jacob Goudreau. Hang out with him a lot, he’s always answering his phone, he’s a good guy.”
Bonus
Favourite sport other than hockey?
“I’ll go with golf. Me and my brother work at the golf course in Richmond, so we kind of picked that up like two or three years ago, and we’ve loved it ever since.”
If you could relive one day of your life, what day would you choose?
“Maybe like going on a road trip with my family. I really enjoyed those when we were younger. We had family in Calgary, so we’d do road trips. I would say going on road trips with them.”
Best advice your parents have given you?
“I know probably everyone says it but working hard. Like working hard will get you everywhere and I think another one that my parents always say is never burn a bridge. Never go out with a bang or anything, because you never know, later in life you could see the same people.”
What is your secret talent?
“I mean, not a crazy talent but I’m pretty good at golfing with my off hand.Not like crazy good, but like decent enough.”
Written by: Scott Savard
Photos: Chad Goddard
About the Okotoks Oilers
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. The Oilers are currently in their 20th year of play and their first full season since officially joining the BCHL in January 2024. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
