Rob Ring, a dedicated minor hockey volunteer for 40-plus years, was named a Life Member of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. The honour was recognized at the OMHA Awards Celebration on June 7th.

Life membership in the OMHA may be granted to an individual who has served on the OMHA Board of Directors for a minimum of 15 years and has rendered extraordinary and distinguished service to the OMHA. Life members continue to work for, and bring credit to, the OMHA.

The newest life member of the OMHA is a lifelong resident of Collingwood and is passionate about volunteering. Ring started playing Collingwood Minor Hockey at seven years old all the way through to U21 (formerly Juvenile). He won an OMHA Championship in 1972 with the U16 (Minor Midget) A team and with the U21 (Juvenile) A team in 1974. At 20 years old, Ring started coaching in Collingwood before transitioning to the Collingwood Minor Hockey Board of Directors where he held a number of roles over 17 years.

Ring served as the Georgian Bay Area Convenor to the OMHA for four years starting in 1994 and was then nominated for the Area H Regional Executive Member position on the OMHA Board of Directors where he spent 10 years in that role. He was the Vice President – Eastern District for five seasons and became was the longest serving President in OMHA history from 2013 to 2018.

There are a number of personal accomplishments that Ring has earned away from the rink that show his true dedication to volunteerism. He was the recipient of the OMHA Honour Award in 1995. The next year, Ring was awarded the Order of Collingwood from the Mayor and has been a Councilor in Collingwood since 2022. 
    
He has also been active in such local organizations as the North Dufferin Baseball League, the Royal Canadian Legion and Kinsmen. Ring now sits on the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee and has been elected on two separate occasions - as a builder in 1996, and again in 2018 as a member of the 1974 Collingwood Juvenile A OMHA championship team.

Ring’s passion for hockey development has been recognized through awards from both the HDCO and the OHF. He has served on virtually every OMHA committee, and his leadership and common-sense approach have contributed enormously to the evolution and growth of the OMHA. Ring has been an agent for positive change throughout his time and also a strong advocate for the OMHA at both the OHF and Hockey Canada, while earning the respect of his peers at every level.

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association would like to thank Rob Ring for his leadership on behalf of our members, associations, players, parents, coaches and officials.