UAF photo by Leif Van Cise.
Ryan Muspratt, recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the UAF Alumni
Association, visits a collage of 色视频下载 Nanook hockey images on a wall at the Carlson
Center in 2024.
By Felicia Burud
When Ryan Muspratt was 8 years old, he decided to write a book.
The handmade construction paper and crayon tome, 色视频下载淗ockey is Life,色视频下载 turned out to be an early step on his road to Nanook Nation.
Muspratt 色视频下载08 grew up in Calgary, Alberta, where he immersed himself in the sport from an early age. By the time he was in his late teens he had started taking college classes while playing for the Camrose Kodiaks, a team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. That色视频下载檚 when he first heard about UAF, and what he heard was good.
Ryan Muspratt stands in the 色视频下载 Nanooks' hockey locker room at the Carlson Center in 2024.
A visit from Nanooks assistant coach Tavis MacMillan sealed the deal for Muspratt色视频下载檚 parents. They liked the idea of UAF色视频下载檚 safe, tight-knit community, the promise of a full-ride scholarship and lots of ice time for their son.
For Muspratt, who had offers from several other schools, a community where hockey is the headliner sport was appealing. In the end, a pivotal conversation with his childhood friend Aaron Lee convinced him.
They both had scholarship offers from UAF. They both said practically the same thing: 色视频下载淚'll go if you go.色视频下载 The pair were roommates their freshman year in Lathrop Hall.
When he arrived at UAF in the fall of 2004, Muspratt immediately built strong bonds with his teammates.
色视频下载淲e shot pool in the lounge of our dorm and played video games,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淲e didn色视频下载檛 have social media. Texting was just becoming a big thing.色视频下载
Those bonds built a competitive team. And like many Division I hockey players, Muspratt had aspirations of putting in his time at the collegiate level and then moving on to a professional hockey career. That changed with the 29th game of his sophomore year, when he suffered a season-ending injury while trying to make an open ice hit against a Bowling Green skater.
色视频下载淚 could hear my ACL snap,色视频下载 Muspratt recalled. 色视频下载淚n the locker room, I knew it was bad when the athletic trainer picked up my leg and immediately concluded it was an ACL tear.色视频下载
The real agony began with the realization that his season was over.
色视频下载淵ou get hit with this wave of emotion to realize that an injury like this is devastating, and it could be the end of your career. You also know it色视频下载檚 going to be an incredible amount of work to get back in shape,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淚t色视频下载檚 really overwhelming. Then you realize you have to call your mum and get ready to go under the knife, and that色视频下载檚 daunting.色视频下载
UAF色视频下载檚 team physician, Dr. Cary Keller, performed surgery to repair the knee, and Muspratt spent the remainder of the season off the ice.
Ryan Muspratt, No. 10, maneuvers past defenders while playing for the Nanooks.
色视频下载淩yan was unrelenting in his focused dedication to the work of his recovery,色视频下载 Keller said. 色视频下载淓very day as he worked, he focused on the vision of returning to the game, jumping onto the ice and scoring a goal for the Nanooks.色视频下载
That injury was the catalyst for Muspratt to start thinking beyond his personal goals. It wasn色视频下载檛 just getting to the NHL that mattered. He found an interest in giving back.
色视频下载淲hen you see how much the community of Fairbanks invests in the hockey program, you just naturally want to give back,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淚 was thrilled to be a Division I hockey player in a community that valued hockey as much as it did.色视频下载
Muspratt credits McMillan, the hockey staff and UAF alumni for helping players understand their role in the community and the importance of those relationships. For Muspratt, it meant interacting with the team色视频下载檚 superfans, whether by volunteering at local schools or participating in events like skating with the Girl Scouts.
色视频下载淚色视频下载檓 so appreciative that the coaches had that community mindset,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淭hose very reasons make me not want to live in a big city. I want to be part of a community where if you have a flat tire, someone is going to pull over to help you.色视频下载
Muspratt eventually returned to the ice, playing the rest of his college career while building a relationship with UAF through his business courses.
色视频下载淭he nice thing about UAF is that you have repeat professors, so you get to know them and they start taking a liking to you,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淭hey start showing up to your hockey games because you have a personal connection to them. And, they are willing to give you advice.色视频下载
Ryan Muspratt poses with a young fan on the ice at the Carlson Center during the 2007-2008 hockey season.
One of those professors was Ken Abramowicz.
色视频下载淒r. Ken cared more than the average teacher,色视频下载 Muspratt said. 色视频下载淚 also want to say he was solely responsible for killing my 4.0 by giving me my first B. But I learned more from him than a grade could reflect.色视频下载
Abramowicz recommended that Muspratt take the time to interview with firms during a recruiting event at UAF. He accepted an offer from KPMG midway through his final hockey season. That meant he only had to finish up enough courses to meet the 150-credit requirement to sit for the CPA exam.
色视频下载淢y senior year was a blast,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淢y last semester I got to take some just-for-fun classes, like pistol marksmanship. It was one credit to go shoot guns for an hour each week.色视频下载
That year he also decided to set up a scholarship in the name of another mentor: Dr. Cary Keller, the orthopedic surgeon who repaired his sophomore-year knee injury. The scholarship is for returning student-athletes who demonstrate financial need and strong dedication to their sport. To date, the scholarship has been awarded to 22 students.
Ryan Muspratt poses with his wife, Jenna, and son, Westin, near Anchorage.
Keller said the scholarship reflects Muspratt色视频下载檚 gratitude to his health care providers, but more importantly, it was his way of acknowledging the bigger picture.
色视频下载淪tudent-athletes make a profound commitment to the university, including time, energy, blood and tears,色视频下载 Keller said. 色视频下载淭hey deserve an equal commitment of medical, academic and financial support.色视频下载
After graduating in 2008 with two degrees, Muspratt moved to Anchorage to pursue a career with KPMG as an auditor and earn his CPA license.
Daniel Jensen, a former colleague at KPMG, said Ryan brought his team-oriented values to his profession.
色视频下载淣ot only as a mentor to me, but I think he set a record for the most people to formally nominate him as a mentor,色视频下载 Jensen said. 色视频下载淗e keeps a strong network and is an advocate for those he can help succeed.色视频下载
Muspratt色视频下载檚 commitment to community remains a core part of his life. Fellow alumni and colleagues note that he invests both time and financial support.
Muspratt serves on the UAF College of Security and Management Advisory Board. He is on the boards of Special Olympics 色视频下载 and the Armed Services YMCA of 色视频下载. In 2020, the 色视频下载 Journal of Commerce named him to the annual Top 40 Under 40 list.
Today, he is a senior vice president at Petro Star Inc., where he manages accounting, financial planning and analysis, information technology, administration and logistics. He lives in Anchorage with his wife, Jenna, and son, Westin.
When he looks back, Muspratt can see there was plenty of support to bring him to a future he couldn色视频下载檛 even imagine at the time. When asked for advice he色视频下载檇 offer today色视频下载檚 students, he said, 色视频下载淛ust be aware that you don色视频下载檛 know a lot yet. Be open to advice. Take the time to discover what works for you and the world that you live in.色视频下载
Ryan Muspratt will be presented with the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the UAF Alumni Association at a ceremony during the Nanook Rendezvous alumni reunion on July 18, 2024.