Pratte heads to Red Deer Polytechnic

Ty Pratte continues to go further than his doubters ever thought he could.

The 20-year-old Dauphin Kings defenceman from Moose Jaw, Sask., thrived in junior and is now moving up another level after committing to the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference for the 2026-2027 season.

“It’s going to be new and exciting and I’m ready for the opportunity.” Pratte said earlier this week. “From the youngest ages growing up in hockey and as I got older people doubted me and said I couldn’t be there and that kinda lit a fire inside of me where I just wanna prove people wrong.”

And Pratte’s play spoke for itself, especially during his last two seasons with Dauphin, as the six-foot, 175-pound blue-liner developed into a reliable top-pairing defender who can play in all situations while producing at a high level.

Pratte reeled in six goals and 41 points through 44 games this season for the Kings, ranking fourth in team scoring — behind Brandon’s Ethan Stewart, and Mathew O’Sullivan and Nicholas Zaharias — and first among all D-men by at least 10 points. He matched his goal total and banked eight more assists than last year, when he broke out for 33 points after managing just six points the season prior.

Pratte, who trains at Prairie Hockey Academy back at home during the summers, said a number of schools reached out to him after the Kings were ousted by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in the first round of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs, including a pair of U Sports teams, another squad in the ACAC and of course, Red Deer.

He ultimately decided to stick to the Kings name because of their successful hockey program and schooling options.

“They just really caught my eye because I waned to take the trades program there, which I was super interested in and it’s also a well-known hockey program,” Pratte said of Red Deer. “They’re a winning program and I’ve heard nothing but good things to say about the program, the coaches, the players, kind of just everything about it, so it just seemed like a really good fit for myself, so it worked out really well for me.”

The program Pratte is joining has dominated the ACAC in recent years, winning the championship three of the last four years. However, their attempt at a four-peat was shut down this season after they were swept in the final of their best-of-five tilt against the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Red Deer will be looking to get back on top next year and there’s no doubt his addition to the lineup helps as he’ll offer another dimension to its defence core.

Pratte said he can’t wait to join the mix and change his fortunes in the post-season after dropping a heartbreaking triple overtime Game 7 bout in the Turnbull Cup final to the Northern Manitoba Blizzard last year.

“That is one of the biggest things for me going into college hockey is being able to win and wanting to win,” he said. “I think how close we were in my 19-year-old year in Dauphin, and just kind of having that feeling has stuck with me, so I want to win at the collegiate level and I hope I can do so in Red Deer.

“I think just with how successful they’ve been in the past, I think that’s a really good step for me being able to win and being a champion, so I’m super excited.”

He’s just as ecstatic to start his education in trades, an interest he’s developed from a young age thanks to his dad.

“My dad is very handy with his hands and he knows a lot about each different trades and stuff, and it definitely helped having him behind me and on my side about giving me insight and interest into working with my hands and trades because nowadays it’s a really good thing to have because once you have it, you can never get it taken away,” Pratte said. “I like to be doing stuff with my hands and being kind of outside in different type of work. It’s hard work but after your work, you’re happy with yourself and you feel complete.”

It’s also a gratifying knowing you get to stay in the sport you love.

Pratt knows he won’t have the game forever, so he’s glad he’s been given an opportunity to play while he still can.

“That’s just my main priority is staying healthy and being able to play for as long as I can,” he said. “I think at the end of the day, when my body tells me that I can’t play hockey anymore, I can’t play hockey, so when I finally stop playing and my body’s not healthy, then I can call it a career, but for now my body is healthy and I’m just happy to be along for the ride.”

» mdelucataronno@brandonsun.com