For his teammates, it was just one more stop on a nine-game road trip, but for Airdrie native Ty Rattie it was a chance to play in front of his family and friends for the first time in two years.
Rattie and the Portland Winterhawks defeated the Calgary Hitmen 7-1 Oct. 25, with Rattie recording an assist. The two teams last played in Calgary on Oct. 18, 2009, in Rattie’s rookie season.
“I haven’t played here since I was 16,” said Rattie. “It’s always exciting to come back home. Adrenaline was pushing me throughout the game. I was just excited to play in front of family and friends, and I got to go home (to Airdrie) last night. It’s been a great trip and I’m looking forward to the rest of it.”
Now a veteran in his third year with the team, Rattie is one of Portland’s leading scorers and sixth in league scoring. With the win against Calgary, the Winterhawks are two points back of the Tri-City Americans for first place in the WHL’s U.S. division. The team is trying to replicate last season’s run to the WHL championship, where they lost in five games to the Kootenay Ice.
“This season’s been going pretty good,” said Rattie. “We were three wins short of the final last year, but we’re off to a good start this year. We’re a younger team, but we’re getting there.”
It’s Rattie’s offensive abilities and team leadership that impressed the St. Louis Blues, who picked him 32nd overall at this summer’s NHL Entry Draft. Attending the Blues training camp in September gave Rattie a taste of the NHL and the chance to play alongside his future teammates, like T.J. Oshie and Chris Stewart.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” he said. “I think going in there and seeing all those superstars, how hard they work on the ice, how hard they work during practice really helped me out. I think the biggest thing is the size and speed, so that’s what I’m working on the most right now. I hung out with most of the guys on the team. They were mentors for me while I was there. They are obviously doing something right because they’re there, so I was just trying to soak it all up and listen to whatever they have to say.”
With training camp behind him now, Rattie has been focused on helping lead the Winterhawks back to the league championship, but another significant milestone in the 18-year-old’s career is quickly approaching. The draft was only one part of what was a busy summer for Rattie.
He was also invited to Hockey Canada’s summer development camp in preparation for the 2012 World Junior Championships. The tournament, which starts Dec. 26, will be held in Calgary and Edmonton.
The training camp will be Rattie’s first, but he’s one of the frontrunners to make Team Canada, which is hoping to take back the gold medal that’s eluded it for the past two years.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about it,” Rattie said. “That’s my No. 1 goal going into this year. It’s Team Canada, if they say play fourth line and I’m barely getting any ice, I’m going to do it. I’d do anything to make that team and that’s my mentality. I just want that gold medal and it’s that much more special that it’s here in Alberta.”
