Dailey named interim head coach as Ringrose takes parental leave

Longtime assistant coach Zack Dailey will serve as interim head coach of the Griffins men's hockey team in 2022-23.
Longtime assistant coach Zack Dailey will serve as interim head coach of the Griffins men's hockey team in 2022-23.

MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Assistant coach Zack Dailey will take on the role of interim head coach of the MacEwan men's hockey program for the 2022-23 season, Griffins Director of Athletics Joel Mrak announced Friday.

Covering a parental leave for head coach Michael Ringrose, Dailey will guide the Griffins into their sophomore Canada West campaign, which begins Sept. 30 vs. Regina.

"This is an exciting day for Griffins Athletics as we are pleased to announce Zack taking over as the Interim head coach for the men's hockey team for the 2022-23 season while Coach Ringrose is away," said Mrak. "Zack has been a valued member of the coaching staff and this is a great opportunity for him to lead the program. 

"He brings tremendous experience as a high-performance athlete and also as a very capable coach. Most importantly, he is a great person, so the team is in great hands this year."

Dailey has been an assistant coach with the Griffins since 2017 and was a key member of a coaching staff that guided MacEwan to two Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference championships.

He also currently serves as an on-ice instructor at Vimy Ridge Academy, working with junior high and high school hockey players.

As a player, Dailey has extensive elite experience, including logging 373 games in the Western Hockey League with the Everett Silvertips, where he served as team captain for two seasons. He was also a part of two national championship-winning teams during a five-year playing career for the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

"I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead and grow this program as it continues to transition into Canada West and U SPORTS," said Dailey. "I would like to thank Joel Mrak, Lindsay McAlpine and Mike Ringrose for their trust and belief in me. 

"The culture and foundation that has been put in place by Mike will be expanded and grown in my tenure. I'm excited to work with Sean Ringrose and our leadership group to create an environment where players can reach their full potential by becoming better student athletes and positive influences in our community."

Sean Ringrose will return as an assistant coach on Dailey's staff with more additions to be announced in the coming weeks.