Well, That Didn’t Go as Hoped: My Nine Months as General Manager

There are two documents that mark the end of my time as General Manager for the 2025–26 season.

One is a short resignation email.

The other is a brief public statement shared on social media.

They say the same thing.

They simply do so in different ways.

If you are reading this without much background, the resignation may feel understated. Possibly incomplete.

That was intentional, though not for dramatic reasons.

Why the Letter Is Short

The resignation email was written to serve a specific purpose. It documents a decision and outlines what, if anything, might follow.

It does not provide context.

It does not catalogue challenges.

It does not attempt to explain how or why things unfolded as they did.

That omission was not meant to obscure anything. It reflects an understanding that written records often take on lives of their own, detached from the circumstances that produced them. In that setting, clarity and restraint felt more appropriate than narrative.

The letter exists to mark an endpoint, not to frame a story.

Resignation Email (Redacted)

Good afternoon [Organization Leadership],

Effective immediately, I am resigning from my position as General Manager of the [organization]. If the organization determines there is a continued need for a second Assistant Coach, I would be prepared to serve in that role on a support-based basis for a modest stipend of [amount redacted]. Please advise if the organization wishes to proceed on that basis.

Regards, Ed

Why the Public Post Took a Different Shape

The public statement was written with a different audience in mind.

It was not intended to speak to governance structures, internal processes, or unresolved organizational questions. It was meant to acknowledge a change without creating uncertainty for the people most immediately affected by it.

That meant keeping the focus narrow:

continuity,

preparation,

and support for the remainder of the season.

Detail was avoided not because it is unimportant, but because it was not helpful in that context.

Both messages reflect the same decision.

They simply address different responsibilities.

Public Statement (Redacted)

After careful consideration, I have stepped away from my duties as General Manager of the [team].

This decision was not made lightly and reflects changes to the scope of the role. What has not changed is my commitment to the players and bench staff. I will continue supporting the team in a coaching capacity for the remainder of the season, with a focus on providing stability, preparation, and a consistent junior hockey environment for the athletes, within the means available to me.

I remain supportive of the group and the work being done on the bench. Within my more limited role, I will continue to contribute where appropriate to support the players and the ongoing efforts of the 2025–26 [team].

Always about the players.

Always about the team.

(Comments disabled.)

For Coaches

Those who have worked behind a bench or in management will recognize how roles can shift over time, sometimes subtly, sometimes not.

Roles change. Sometimes that change involves added responsibility. Other times it involves reduced authority, altered decision-making, or a narrowing of scope. When those shifts no longer align with expectations on either side, stepping back can be a reasonable response.

This was not a dramatic conclusion. It was a practical one.

The tone of both messages reflects an attempt to keep the focus on the work still being done rather than on the reasons for stepping away. For coaches, that kind of restraint is usually familiar, even if it is not always easy.

For General Managers

General management roles often sit at the intersection of accountability and authority, and those two do not always move together.

Recognizing when that alignment has shifted is part of the job. Sometimes the change is gradual. Other times it becomes clear only after a final adjustment alters the role materially from what was originally agreed upon.

In this case, the accumulation of those shifts eventually reached a point where the role was no longer workable. A quiet, contained transition felt like the most responsible option available.

For Players

Players were never meant to be involved in organizational decisions or internal disagreements.

While many players are adults themselves, they remain within the care and responsibility of the program. Nothing about this change was intended to draw them into matters that do not serve their development or their season.

The public statement was meant to acknowledge a transition without adding noise to an already demanding season. Practices, preparation, and expectations remain the priority.

Players were informed directly by me, through the team’s established communication channels, in a manner consistent with the public statement. That message focused on reassurance, continuity, and respect for the work the group had already put in, without introducing uncertainty or speculation.

For Parents

Leadership changes naturally raise questions, and that is understandable.

Brevity was not intended to dismiss those questions. It reflects a belief that not every internal shift benefits from public elaboration, particularly while athletes are still competing and preparing.

Sometimes stability is better served by emphasizing what has not changed rather than detailing what has.

That was the thinking behind the communication.

Reading What Is There and What Is Not

Without context, the communications may feel incomplete. With context, they may read differently.

Both reactions are understandable.

The messages were not designed to persuade or justify. They were meant to mark a transition with as little disruption as possible.

Why I Offered to Stay in a Limited Capacity

The offer to remain in an Assistant Coach role, on defined terms, reflected a willingness to continue supporting the players while acknowledging that the broader role had changed.

Clear boundaries matter in those situations. Without them, even well-intentioned involvement can create confusion.

It was simply an option offered in good faith.

On Timing and What Comes Later

I have often made a habit of writing about roles after I have left them, once there is enough distance to reflect without interfering with ongoing work.

It is possible that, with time, I may choose to write more specifically about this period. Not to revisit decisions or reframe outcomes, but to document the experience more fully once it is less likely to affect those still involved.

Timing matters. Even accurate information can become a distraction when shared too close to the work itself.

Waiting is not about withholding. It is about responsibility.

Closing

Not every experience translates cleanly into a public explanation.

Some are best understood by the people directly involved and reflected on privately by everyone else.

If the messages feel quiet, that is because quiet felt appropriate.

The work that matters, on the ice and behind the bench, continues.

Always about the players.

Always about the team.

Ed Garinger is a seasoned hockey coach, mentor, and educator with over two decades of experience. A native of the Bruce Peninsula, he played minor and junior hockey before earning his BA and BEd from Nipissing University, where he also competed in varsity volleyball and extramural hockey.

Coaching since age 14, Ed has balanced his teaching career with an extensive coaching and development portfolio, working with players at all levels. He has coached in the Provincial Junior Hockey League, led youth and high school teams, and served as a learning facilitator for the OMHA. His experience includes elite programs like the OHL/OHF U15 and U16 camps, U17 Regional Camps, and Hockey Canada’s Skills Academy.

A Hockey Canada HP1-certified coach, USA Hockey-certified coach, and Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC), Ed is committed to ongoing professional development and continually seeks to expand his knowledge to better serve players and coaches. Now based in Orillia, he enjoys passing on his passion for hockey to the next generation.