R.T. Rice signs with Colorado Avalanche organization after two seasons with UPEI Panthers

By Jason Malloy

INVERMERE, B.C. – Robert Ty (R.T.) Rice walked onto the UPEI campus two years ago with little fanfare.

The strapping young man from Invermere, B.C., with Island roots made the Panthers men's hockey team as a walk-on and after two seasons has left the program with a pro contract.

But Rice is also proud of what he accomplished in the classroom.

See Rice has dyslexia, and school was always tough for him.

"If you would have said to me when I was in high school that I was going to go to university and do two years of it, pass all my courses, I (probably) would have laughed at you," he said.

"Luckily, I had a lot of good teammates and a lot of guys who were supportive and helped me out through the years."

Rice said growing up was tough, wondering why he wasn't learning as quickly as his peers or the off-the-cuff joke from a friend.

"It definitely took a toll. It wasn't easy," he acknowledged. "It's just something that made me stronger as a person."

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