UND Today

University of North Dakota’s Official News Source

The ring saga: UND alum reunited with long-lost letterman’s ring

‘Has anyone lost their class ring?’ the Alumni Association & Foundation email asked. Yes indeed – way back in 1969, answered Michael Leach

Michael Leach, ’69, of Davies, Fla., recently had his long-lost UND class ring returned to him, all the way from Ontario, Canada. Photo courtesy of Michael Leach.

On May 3, 2020, two metal detector enthusiasts uncovered a ring near a baseball diamond in Badjeros, Ontario, Canada. It was inscribed with the words University of North Dakota | B.S. | 1969 | Letterman. Inside, the initials M.S.L. offered a clue to its original owner.

Jason Burgsma and Amanda Konieczny, who found the ring, contacted the UND Alumni Association & Foundation (UNDAAF), hoping to return it to whom it once belonged.

This ring was uncovered by metal detector enthusiasts in Badjeros, Ontario, Canada.

Lindsay Benson, ’13, ’14, UNDAAF’s data and website coordinator, received the message and sent an email to a half-dozen members of the Class of 1969 with the initials M and L: “Has anyone lost their class ring?”

Michael Leach, ’69, couldn’t believe his eyes. More than 50 years ago, in 1969, he had lost a UND Hockey letterman’s ring that matched the one pictured in the email. At the time he was working for Massey Ferguson and playing in a men’s hockey league in Des Moines, Iowa. One game day, he wore his ring to the game. “I don’t know why I wore it,” he said. “I know I took off the ring before our game and afterwards at home, I could not find it. I figured I either misplaced it, dropped it on the ground or it was stolen. I was thinking of getting it replaced but at the time the cost was too much.”

Still, Michael was skeptical. The closest he’d ever been to Badjeros, Ontario, where the ring was found, was Toronto – roughly 80 miles away.

Photo courtesy of Michael Leach.

Upon closer inspection, however, it was determined that the ring received a few weeks prior to graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Education was, in fact, Michael’s.

On June 15, the prized possession returned to its rightful owner, half a century after it was lost. Along with it, a lovely note from Jason and Amanda and a playing card picture of their son who’s also a hockey player.

“What an exciting story for both of us to tell, with such a happy ending,” the couple wrote. “Especially during these times of such uncertainty, it makes us smile to spread something positive and make a stranger’s day better!”

How it ended up in Ontario remains a mystery, but its return has been a welcome surprise during a difficult time.

“This has been an upside-down year,” Michael wrote to the UNDAAF. “Starting with an illness that took me by surprise, achieving my 26th year working for the NHL as a penalty timekeeper and an arena league spotter for the Florida Panthers, a pandemic, and some wonderful people finding my ring 50 years after I lost it and in a place that I would have never believed possible. I just want to thank Lindsay, Amanda, and Jason for making this all possible for me. My wife Evidia and I still cannot believe these crazy events.”

This story originally appeared in the Winter 2020 issue of the UND Alumni Magazine.

About the author

Alyssa Konickson is director of Storytelling & Content Strategy and editor of UND Alumni Magazine at the UND Alumni Association & Foundation.