Moose Jaw, SK – The Moose Jaw Warriors are pleased to announce the signing of General Manager Jason Ripplinger and Head Coach Mark O’Leary to multi-year extensions.
“Continuing to build franchise stability is vital for the Warriors board of directors and we feel we’ve done that with bringing back Jason and Mark,” Bob Dougall, Warriors President and Governor, said.
Ripplinger has served as the Warriors’ general manager for the past four seasons, which includes three straight trips to the Western Hockey League Playoffs and back-to-back 40-win seasons.
He originally joined the Warriors as assistant general manager in 2017 and previously had spent 17 years with the Vancouver Giants as head scout and director of player personnel.
This past season, Ripplinger focused on augmenting the Warriors’ core, which was built through the draft, by acquiring key players like Matthew Savoie, Kalem Parker, Brayden Schuurman, Rilen Kovacevic and Vojtech Port.
“Jason built an exciting team for this season and while at the same time, keeping an eye on the future through a strong draft-and-develop model,” Dougall said. “We’re excited about where his leadership will take the organization moving forward.”
After eight seasons as an assistant coach with the team, O’Leary was named the Warriors’ head coach during the 2019-20 season.
He has posted a 148-105-12-10 record in 275 games behind the bench. He currently sits fourth all-time in franchise history in games coached and second in wins.
“Mark has been a major part keeping the culture and development, on and off the ice, in the right direction,” Ripplinger said. “As we go through a cycle next year, we felt Mark has proved to be a leader and will help us stay competitive as we build for the future.”
The Warriors have five games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season, starting this weekend with a home-and-home set against the Saskatoon Blades.