January 6, 2010

Dan Ringwald: On the Cusp

Click here to read Alex Linsky's story on the Hockey Prospects website.

If numbers and accolades don’t lie, Dan Ringwald’s phone should probably be ringing off the hook with NHL suitors. As a defenseman at RIT, he has averaged nearly a point per game at the NCAA division one level, has earned accolades such as a Hobey Baker nomination, and is currently captaining (for the second year) the Tigers as they strive to qualify for their first NCAA tournament.

Ringwald, an Ontario native, played tier 2 junior but chose to skip the major junior route for the NCAA. “University was a priority of mine. RIT was a good fit because they were close to home, offered a good education, and a growing program,” Ringwald said in an interview with HockeyProspect.com. In fact, as the RIT program has grown, so has Ringwald and his NHL potential.

At 6’1, 195 pounds, Ringwald all ready possesses the NHL frame for his style game. Ringwald classifies himself as a, “Puck moving defenseman that can play all situations and I pride myself on moving the puck and making plays…I pride myself on positional play.”

So, in his last year of eligibility, after being a top defenseman in NCAA hockey for the entirety of his tenure at RIT, what keeps Ringwald motivated? “The biggest motivation for me is wanting to get better and knowing and proving to other people that you can play at this level…I think I had a lot of naysayers in minor hockey and junior and part of it was to prove that maybe I wasn’t the biggest guy, maybe not the most physical, but I could play.”

Moreover, Ringwald still has one more task to accomplish at RIT in leading his Tigers to their first ever NCAA tournament birth (winning the AHA would guarantee a birth): “We’ve been close, we’ve been on the cusp…We want to get in,” Ringwald said. Despite that remaining challenge, Ringwald is ready to take the next step in his hockey career.

“I feel ready right now. I think I‘ve learned a lot form other pro guys I’ve spent time with in the summer about taking care of your body and how they approach the game. In terms of play, I obviously have areas I need to improve, but I’m willing to put in the work in and get better every day.”

With the success of recent NCAA free agents such as Matt Gilroy, Christian Hanson and Jack Hillen there is no reason to think Ringwald isn’t ready to take the next step to the NHL level. That said, his play keeps improving (he has all ready surpassed his career high in goals) and, for now, he can focus on leading his RIT teammates to the collegiate promised land.

By the end of the season, his phone should start ringing.