Syracuse women’s ice hockey prepares to lose head coach Britni Smith to the Olympics

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — When Syracuse women’s ice hockey opened its season Thursday, its coaching staff had a new look. The team is preparing for head coach Britni Smith to leave her squad to coach Team Canada in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Former women’s ice hockey beat reporter Ben Chadwick says Smith’s absence will be felt.

“She is just a motivator to this team. She knows how to get the best out of her girls, and they love her too,” said Chadwick. “She means everything to this team.”

Last year, in her third season with the Orange, Smith led her squad to a winning conference record and a trip to the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) semifinals. Despite her impact on SU’s success, Chadwick has faith the Orange can still win without her.

“She’s built such a great foundation there with her team, with her players, with her other coaching staff,” he said. “I think they’ll be able to rally together and make up the difference that coach Britni Smith will be leaving behind.”

During the offseason, Syracuse prepared for Smith’s departure by adding assistants Jordan Lipson and Dan Ringwald to the coaching staff. Both coaches have previous experience with Syracuse’s AHA foes.

Lipson was an assistant coach at Robert Morris University for the past two years, and before that, she held the same role at Lindenwood University. She says she’s excited to join this unique situation.

“Britni (Smith)’s selection to represent Team Canada at the upcoming Olympic Games is a testament to the caliber of leadership here and presents exciting new opportunities for our student-athletes and the program as a whole,” Lipson said in a press release.

Ringwald’s hockey experience is limited to the playing side. He played for various professional teams in the ECHL and AHL level from 2010 to 2015. In college, he skated for the Rochester Institute of Technology, a frequent opponent of his new team.

This new coaching staff debuted Thursday against Minnesota Duluth, the fifth-ranked team in the nation. The Orange lost that contest and one the next day, both by the score of 4-0. It’s difficult to judge a team when they are playing one of the best opponents in the country, but Syracuse associate head coach Heather Farrell said the coaches worked together well during SU’s first series of the season. She said her new assistants have exceeded expectations.

“(Lipson and Ringwald) have done more than fill in. They’ve gone above and beyond in their capacity to help,” said Farrell. “We’re really lucky to have two coaches like that.”

Farrell will serve as the acting head coach when Smith is in Italy. However, Syracuse hasn’t yet announced a specific date when Smith will be departing for her Olympic duties. Team Canada’s first matchup in the Olympic Games will be on Feb. 5 in Milan. Farell is expected to take over for a significant chunk of the season since SU’s final game of the regular season is on Feb. 14, and Olympic preparations are likely to begin weeks before the opening ceremony.

Smith has an extended history with her country’s national team. She was an assistant on Canada’s World Championships squad that took home a silver medal in April. Additionally, she has significant playing experience for Team Canada.

“Britni Smith was a fantastic women’s hockey player back in her day,” said Chadwick. “She played for the Team Canada U22 team, and she was incredible for them.”

During her four years playing on the national team, Smith won one gold medal and three silver medals in global competitions.