Ripplinger joins prominent NHL player agency
Long-time scout Todd Ripplinger is leaving the WHL, but he’s not going far.
The Regina native resigned Friday as the Vancouver Giants’ director of player development to join The Sports Corporation (TSC) in a newly created position as director of player personnel.
TSC is one of the premier player agencies in hockey, representing over 40 NHLers, including Ryan Getzlaf, Barret Jackman, Carey Price, Dustin Penner, Milan Lucic and Alex Tanguay, among others.
Ripplinger is best known for spending 14 years as the director of scouting for the WHL’s Regina Pats, with whom he was responsible for drafting the likes of Josh Harding, Jordan Eberle and Jordan Weal.
After his contract wasn’t renewed in 2011 — when the Pats changed over their entire hockey operations staff — Ripplinger was immediately hired by the Giants as a scout and to help oversee the team’s prospects.
Before joining the Pats, he spent six seasons as a scout for the Kamloops Blazers.
“It has been my life,” Ripplinger said Friday. “I’m 41 years old. I started doing this when I was 19. It’s not easy (to leave) but I’ve had a lot of support from people around the league. I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for me.”
Ripplinger was hired by TSC president and CEO Gerry Johannson, a prominent NHL player agent.
Johannson, who purchased the company last year from founder Ritch Winter, was in Regina on Thursday to seal the deal personally with Ripplinger. They were in attendance for the Pats’ 3-0 win over the Prince Albert Raiders, during which Ripplinger won the 50/50 draw for $3,350.
“It’s a position we’ve been looking to fill for some time and we wanted to make sure we got the right guy,” said Johannson.
“Todd was our No. 1 choice. We were able to get him out of Vancouver in a very positive and seamless way. It’s not every day you get a guy with Todd’s experience. He’s a really honest and really smart guy and a really easy guy to communicate with. He understands junior hockey and he knows the people and the game. He understands the players and knows how the system works. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.”
Ripplinger is expected to work side by side with Johannson to recruit players for the Edmonton-based agency. Ripplinger, who will continue to live in Regina, is slated to cover the bantam, midget, junior A, college and major-junior ranks, with emphasis on the WHL.
“I thank the Vancouver Giants for the opportunity they gave me after I was let go by the Pats,” said Ripplinger, adding that he’s excited about the next stage in his career.
“I still get to watch hockey. I love watching hockey and I love being around the players. Being in Regina and the team being in Vancouver at times it felt like I’m not a part of it like I was with the Pats. Now I’m getting to be involved with players again and talking to them about their aspirations and their direction in life. I’m looking forward to it.”