Turner Ripplinger fitting in with Pat C’s
Turner Ripplinger has found all the comforts of home with the Regina Pat Canadians.
After spending last season with the Moose Jaw Generals, the Regina product decided to join the home-town Pat C’s this fall, reuniting him with several former teammates as well as head coach Darrin McKechnie.
“I’ve played with that same group of guys all my life; it’s nothing new,” said Ripplinger, who’s ranked second in the Saskatchewan midget AAA league with 13 points in 10 games.
“It helps a lot (having McKechnie there). I look up to him. He’s a great guy and a good mentor.”
McKechnie — a former WHL star with the Regina Pats — has coached Ripplinger at almost every level of minor hockey, including two years ago when they won a South Saskatchewan midget AA title with the Regina Capitals.
McKechnie joined the Pats as an assistant in 201415 but he stepped down in the spring due to increased responsibilities in his regular job with the Regina Police Service. The WHL club replaced him with former Pat C’s head coach Brad Herauf, clearing the way for McKechnie to switch places.
The move caught the attention of Ripplinger, who was coming off a successful rookie season with the Generals, finishing second on the team with 12 goals and 31 points in 43 games. He also watched from afar as the Pat Canadians won a league title and placed third in the Telus Cup.
“All kids want to play and Moose Jaw was the first one to say, ‘We’ll guarantee you a spot,’ ” explained McKechnie. “He wasn’t sure with the powerhouse they had (in Regina) where he was going to fit or if he was going to play. He ended up going to Moose Jaw and had a real good year for (head coach) Ray Wareham and loved playing for him.”
That said, the opportunity to join the Pat Canadians this season was too good to pass up.
“Turner is going to be living away from home likely for the rest of his young hockey career,” noted McKechnie. “It was a chance to be with his family (for one more year). Him and I have a history together too so he knew he’d fit in with our program very well. We’re very fortunate to have him. I thank Ray Wareham for that. Instead of looking out for his own program he was looking out for the player. That says a lot about Ray.”
Ripplinger calls Wareham “a phenomenal guy” and noted that “we thanked him like 100 times” for not standing in the way. It also opened the door for Ripplinger to be reunited with his father Todd, a former Pats’ head scout who joined the Pat C’s this season as a part-time assistant.
Todd Ripplinger has coached alongside McKechnie in the past and is excited about the opportunity for his son, who’s looking to springboard to the next level.
Turner’s junior A rights belong to the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins.
“I think he’s going to keep getting better as he gets older,” said Todd, the current head scout of the Bruins. “He might be one of those late bloomers. He was one of the best guys when he was eight, nine, 10. (A lack of) size caught up to him ... but he’s starting to grow again. He’s getting interest from junior A teams as well as some schools in the U.S., which is very exciting. I’d like to see him play in the Western League — it’s guaranteed education (through the WHL scholarship program) and it’s one of the best leagues to play in — but we’ll see how it goes.”
For his part, Turner is keeping an open mind.
“If a WHL chance comes I’m going to jump at it but right now I’m sticking to school and going the college route,” added the 17-year-old right winger, who leads the Pat Canadians (6-3-0-1) into action Friday against the host Swift Current Legionnaires.
“It’s very important (to prove himself) coming into my last year of minor hockey. Next year I’m playing with the big boys so you have to give yourself a good opportunity.”