Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – After presiding over the program during a unique six-season tenure filled with championships, a pandemic, and opportunities in two different conferences, Mike Ringrose announced Thursday that he will be stepping down as head coach of the MacEwan men's hockey team.
Ringrose, who was on a paternity leave for the 2022-23 season as assistant coach Zack Dailey served as interim head coach, will turn his attention to his growing businesses and young family.
"I am not going to coach next year," he said. "I have some business endeavours that I've been involved in for quite a few years that I'm going to spend some more time with. I have two little ones now and a wonderful partner, and I'm really looking forward to spending some time with them. I'm not saying this will be the end of my coaching career. I certainly love it and I hope to pick it up one day again down the road if everything lines up well enough.
"At the moment, my priorities, I feel they've shifted," Ringrose continued. "And I feel the program is at a moment where it needs energy and attention. If I'm being honest with my time, I don't feel I'm the right person to give it that.
"So, I feel like the Griffins hockey program is on the cusp of taking that next step at the Canada West level and I'm excited to see whoever gets the opportunity to do that, take this great group of young men and look to push things forward."
The vacant head coach opportunity will be posted in early March.
"Mike has been an outstanding ambassador of the men's hockey program during his tenure and has done a great job leading the program to success on and off the ice," said MacEwan Director of Athletics Joel Mrak. "His thoughtful approach to coaching, along with his strong character and values, will certainly be missed in our department.
"It's definitely a tough day for Griffins Athletics but look forward to welcoming him and his family back to the arena next season to cheer the team on. We wish Mike all the best in his future endeavours."
Ringrose, who finishes his MacEwan coaching career with a 57-35-2-1 record, took over at the helm of the Griffins in 2017 following a successful coaching career with the Spruce Grove Saints in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
He replaced Bram Stephen, who led MacEwan to its first Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference championship in 13 years just months prior.
How do you follow that up?
By winning again and again, of course.
The Griffins won both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 ACAC Championships under Ringrose to become a dynasty with three-straight titles.
Mike Ringrose gets his turn to hoist the ACAC Championship trophy after the Griffins beat NAIT in the 2018-19 final at the Downtown Community Arena (Len Joudrey photo).
"It was a neat experience as a coach," he said. "I came in during a year where I certainly believed in the potential of the group. They had won a championship the year before in dramatic fashion as the underdog. I felt we were able to come together and take that next step to being an elite program at the ACAC level on an annual basis where we expected to win every time we stepped on the ice.
"I was proud of that. To have that success, but then be able to come in as a new voice and build on that success is something I'm certainly proud of in my time at MacEwan."
The 2019-20 season ended prior to what would have been an ACAC semifinal showdown against Red Deer College as the Griffins' pursuit of four-straight titles was stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown that affected all public events.
Of course, the 2020-21 season – which was supposed to be the program's debut in Canada West – was scuttled entirely by the pandemic. Finally, in 2021-22, Ringrose was able to lead the Griffins into their U SPORTS debut.
Mike Ringrose poses with graduate Brett Magee on Senior Day in 2022 as the Griffins completed their first season in Canada West (Joel Kingston photo).
A year later, the Griffins only lost out on a playoff spot through a tiebreaker with Regina after tying them for sixth place in an impressive 2022-23 campaign filled with many big moments.
"I'm proud of where we're leaving the program," said Ringrose. "Essentially, we got our feet wet and then this year I was able to watch while I was on my leave and have my assistant coaches – Zack as the head coach and then Sean (Ringrose) and a couple former players (Ryan Benn and Nolan Yaremchuk) – take the reins. That group that we helped build together took the next step to almost making the playoffs. I think the future is bright. I'm grateful that I got to experience both of those (eras) as the head coach at MacEwan."
Ringrose added that he will never forget the group of players he had the pleasure of working with over the last six years.
"That group in particular that we had over my time here, I'll never forget them," he said. "They were a very strong-willed group and were determined to get the results they wanted. But at the end of the day, they were unbelievable people and unbelievable teammates and just a pleasure to work with on a day-to-day basis. So, that made my job very easy. There are some relationships that have been built there that will endure. I have nothing but great things to say about that class act of people."
