At 22: The next Rittner quits

The 22-year-old is leaving ice hockey after five seasons with the Rittner Buam SkyAlps, where he spent his entire youth on the high plateau and was always considered a great talent.

Given his far too young age, his retirement comes as a surprise, but it's also due to persistent injuries in recent seasons. For example, "Joggl" missed the entire second half of the 2024/25 season due to a pelvic injury that simply wouldn't heal. This also sapped his motivation, and the decision to retire was made.

The Ritten native has been part of the Ritten Buam SkyAlps squad since the 2019/20 season. He has played 226 games for the Blue-Reds, scoring 47 times, including 24 goals. He was also part of the legendary 2023/24 season, when he won both the Alps Hockey League and the Italian Championship with the Blue-Reds. He also won the Italian Supercup last season.

Prast belongs to the golden generation But that's not all: Prast belonged to the golden Ritten generation of the 2000s to 2002, which was unparalleled among the youth ranks. U16 Italian champion, U17 Italian champion, and two-time U19 Italian champion—you can't get more than that. Several players from those generations (Michael Lang, Robert Öhler, Manuel Öhler, Adam Giacomuzzi, Hannes Uffelmann) are not only still in the squad today, but are also good friends of Prast, which is why the Ritten native will still be coming to the Ritten Arena—only this time as a loyal fan.

Jackob Prast also had a chance to take a shot. © Max Pattis

"Despite his young age, Joggl (Jakob Prast, editor's note) has become an important reference point in our team. He hasn't had it easy recently with these persistent injuries, so his decision is understandable. We wish him all the best for his future endeavors. Since he is a good friend to many of our players, he will surely make his way to the Ritten Arena a few more times. We are delighted; he will always be warmly welcomed there," said the two sporting directors, Dan Tudin and Alexander Eisath, in a farewell to their Ritten protégé.

Three questions for Jakob Prast Jakob, why are you ending your career as a hockey player?

Prast: "It's certainly related to the fact that I missed half of last season due to injury. I had a lot of free time then, and I did other things that I still really enjoy. So my motivation for hockey dwindled somewhat."

“It certainly has something to do with the fact that I missed half of last season due to injury.” Jacob Prast

How do you look back on these five years with the Rittner Buam SkyAlps?

Prast: "Very grateful and good. I didn't have it easy in my first few years on the Alps Hockey League team, and I only got a little ice time. Starting in the 2023/24 season, I was able to prove myself, played a lot, and showed my value to the team. The fact that we won everything there (the Italian Championship and the Alps Hockey League, editor's note) was also important to me. While we were successful in the youth ranks, it obviously has a different significance with the "big leagues."

What's next for you? Will we see you on the ice in any other form?

Prast: "In the Rittner Hockey League, definitely, I can assure you of that. Ice hockey is and will remain a great passion for me. Apart from that, I pursue the hobbies mentioned above, but they're not yet ready to be revealed, so I'm keeping them to myself."

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At 22: The next Rittner quits

In addition to Markus Spinell, Jakob Prast, another Rittner, has also hung up his skates this summer.

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