Memorable Manitobans: Walter “Babe” Pratt (1916-1988)

Hockey player.

Born at Stony Mountain on 7 January 1916, son of Alice and Charlie Pratt, he started his NHL career with the New York Rangers in 1935 and played for 12 years as a defenceman with Toronto and Boston as well as New York. He played on two Stanley Cup teams, and he was elected to the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. In later years he lived in British Columbia and worked in public relations for the Vancouver Canucks from 1970 until his death, which occurred on 16 December 1988, while he was watching a hockey game between Vancouver and Calgary. He was inducted posthumously (1990) into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his prowess as an athlete.

Sources:

Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Death registration, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 11 April 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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