In the 1910s, prior to serving in World War I, Ritchie played for a Saskatchewan rugby team and was a player-coach in baseball, hockey and lacrosse.

While coaching and managing the Roughriders from 1928 to 1932, they made the Grey Cup each season, but lost in all five matches.

[3] After returning from World War I, Ritchie continued to coach hockey and football.

[5][3] He helped create the Regina Pats football team and led them to the championship in 1928.

While he was the coach of the Victoria Hockey team, he became the general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (then known as the Regina Rugby Club).

They said "While many Canadian football operators, whether it is a team, a club or a league, require a considerable number of men, there at times emerges a single man in such operators who seems to symbolize the spirit of football across Canada.

[11][2] Many tributes were made to Ritchie after his death, including by: Vern DeGreer, Jack Wells, Bill Good, Hal Pawson, Jack Matheson, Hal Walker, and Jim Coleman.

[13] In March of 1966, there was a unanimous vote to name a building in Saskatchewan the "Al Ritchie Memorial Centre".