The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks men's ice hockey team is an active ice hockey program representing the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks athletic department of the Ontario Tech University. The program is a member of Ontario University Athletics in the East division, a conference under the oversight of U Sports. The Ridgebacks play at the Campus Ice Centre in Oshawa, Ontario.
The Ontario Tech Ridgeback men's ice hockey program began with head coach Marlin Muylaert; the first head coach of the program hired for the inaugural season. Muylaert ended his seventh season behind the bench early and was let go midway through the 2013âÂÂ14 campaign. The assistant coach at the time, Justin Caruana, was given the interim head coach tag and completed the season with the rest of Muylaert's coaching staff, composed of Rob Whistle, David Brown, Ian Young, Matt Reed, and strength and conditioning coach Mark Fitzgerald.
The current head coach is Curtis Hodgins. In his inaugural season (2015âÂÂ16) with the Ridgebacks, the team set a new season high in wins and points, earned the team's first ever playoff round victory, and received the team's first ever vote for the USports Top 10 ranking. Following the success of '15-16, the Ridgebacks of 2016âÂÂ17 achieved CIS National Ranking for the first time in program history, earning their highest ranking to date of #4 on November 9, 2016. The Ridgebacks continued to make the playoffs in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, losing in the first round on each occasion. Hodgins would lead the team to their second ever playoff series win in 2022, losing to the eventual national champion UQTR Patriotes in round two. The Ridgebacks returned to the playoffs for a tenth consecutive season in 2022.
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology was founded in 2002 by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a way to facilitate the influx of college-bound students in 2003.
While the school joined Ontario University Athletics in 2006, the ice hockey team did not begin play until a year later. The team did not see much success under their first head coach, Marlin Muylaert, the former coach of WisconsinâÂÂEau Claire, but he did shepherd the club to its first postseason appearances and non-losing season. The Ridgebacks finally posted a winning season upon the arrival of Curtis Hodgins in October of 2015. Ontario Tech notched two 20-win campaigns and reached the second round of the conference tournament twice under Hodgins, however, the regular season hasn't been kind to them in 2020s.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points
<small>â Justin Caruana served as interim head coach for the second half of the season.</small><br><small>â¡ Craig Fisher was forced to step down in October of 2015 due to lingering concussion symptoms.</small><br>
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Denotes Active Player
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Denotes Active Player
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Denotes active player
Announced in 2016 after 10 completed seasons competing in Tennis, the University announced the elimination of the program.
The Ridgebacks rowing team was first established in 2005 and currently operate out of Durham Rowing Club in Port Perry, Ontario. Currently the team competes in Ontario level regattas during the months of September and October. The team fields both men's and women's rowing at both novice and varsity levels.