Blazers leader Appelt joins Griffins, upgrading team's physicality ahead of U SPORTS debut
Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Versatility, size, grit and high-level experience are the hallmarks of the latest recruit to commit to the MacEwan Griffins men's hockey program for the 2021-22 season.
Head coach Michael Ringrose announced Thursday that former Kamloops Blazers assistant captain Ryley Appelt is returning home to Edmonton to play at the Canada West level for the Griffins next season.
The 6-foot-3, 201-pound winger will bring his physical skill-set in bolstering a Griffins lineup that is looking to upgrade in the size department.
"If you look at our forward group, it was definitely something we identified as a weakness and are continuing to work at addressing," said Ringrose. "Adding Ryley with his size and that style of play is certainly going to help us in taking that step up to U SPORTS."
Appelt's resume includes 167 Western Hockey League games with the Blazers since 2017.
"He has a ton of intangibles, a ton of character and plays an honest game," said Ringrose. "He's shown he has the ability to score when given the opportunity in that role, but is able to play in a magnitude of different situations. He can play on your power play, he can play on your penalty kill. He's a 200-foot guy that can be relied on."
Ryley Appelt, an assistant captain with the Kamloops Blazers last season, brings 167 games of Western Hockey League experience to the Griffins (Allen Douglas/Kamloops Blazers).
As the pandemic shut down the Canadian Hockey League earlier this season, amid his overage status in the WHL, Appelt joined the BCHL's Vernon Vipers in 2020-21, but an injury forced him to the sidelines.
"All of those Western Hockey League guys scattered so they could keep training and skating with a team," said Ringrose. "He went to Vernon during that time, but won't play this year because he needed to get surgery. He is recovering and we're hopeful he'll be ready to go for the start of the fall."
Appelt joins his friend and former CAC Canadians teammate Sean Comrie as the first two players in the Griffins' 2021-22 recruiting class.
"These guys from Edmonton grew up playing together," noted Ringrose. "They tend to scatter and end up in different places for their junior careers. By the time they're 20, they want to come home, but they also want to play together. That's one thing we're able to offer Sean and Ryley, who are good friends, is the opportunity to come and not just play at a program together, but help build a program that's young at the U SPORTS level and taking the next step. They're both really excited for that opportunity.
"They're both character guys," he added. "As a coach, that's what I want – guys that understand and are excited. We're going to be a younger group and we've got to focus on the process and continue to get better every day. They get that, they understand and are excited about it. It's a good day for MacEwan hockey."
