Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Former captains were at the core of MacEwan's Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men's hockey dynasty – a run of three-straight championships (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19).
The character, leadership and intangibles they brought were crucial to the success of the program.
Leaning on a tried and true formula as he attempts to construct a winning Griffins team at the U SPORTS level, head coach Michael Ringrose has added the program's first-ever Western Hockey League captain.
Daniel Baker, who wore the 'C' for the Medicine Hat Tigers last season, is joining the Griffins for the 2022-23 Canada West campaign, Ringrose announced Monday.
"Obviously we're recruiting at a different level than when we were in the ACAC, but If you look back at the success we had as a program, any time we got the opportunity to add someone with a letter on their jersey, you knew there was a certain degree of intangibles that they would bring that would assist your program, especially in those moments that matter the most," said Ringrose.
"To add someone from the WHL level who has the ability to bring those same intangibles and have that same impact is a big step for the program and we're excited."
Baker was a rock on the Tigers' blueline in 2021-22, amassing 25 points in 49 games. A key member of the Tigers for more than four seasons – (he played 11 games as a 16-year-old in 2017-18 before joining the team full-time from 2018-22) – Baker has 89 career WHL points over 213 regular season games.
He is joining Tigers teammate Carter Chorney on the Griffins.
"For us as a program to bring in a player of that pedigree who's had experience not just at the WHL level, but being a leader at that level, playing in every situation at that level and then having the offensive impact that he had at that level, he's certainly a huge addition to both our back end and our team moving forward," said Ringrose.
The move to MacEwan represents a homecoming for Baker, who grew up in Edmonton playing for the Canadian Athletic Club (CAC) and Devon-based Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) in the Canadian Sports School League.
He was the 28th overall pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft by the Tigers and has since developed into a 6-foot-4 force on the blueline with huge potential at the U SPORTS level.
"He can play a 200-foot game, can contribute offensively and is a very good defender," said Ringrose. "We're also looking forward to adding the intangibles he's going to bring as a former captain at the WHL level."