University of Regina men's hockey head coach Trevor Keeper announced Monday that former Kamloops Blazers goaltender Dylan Ernst has committed to the Cougars and will join the team immediately.

Ernst played five seasons with Kamloops, including during a 2022-23 campaign which saw the Blazers make a run to the Western Hockey League's Western Conference final as well as host the Memorial Cup.

"Dylan compiled a significant amount of WHL experience in Kamloops and we're extremely excited to add him to the roster," Keeper said. "He's an athletic goaltender and also a leader who's extremely coachable with high character."

Originally from Weyburn, Ernst made Kamloops as a 16-year-old during the 2020-21 season that was mostly wiped out as a result of COVID. After backing up New York Rangers prospect Dylan Garand for his first two years with the Blazers, he took over the starting role in his final three year in Kamloops. His best statistical season was during that 2022-23 season, which saw him put up a 38-10-2 record with Kamloops with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. He appeared in 14 WHL playoff games in 2023 and 4 more in the Memorial Cup.

All told, Ernst played in 165 WHL regular season games with the Blazers and finished with an 85-61-7 record while putting up a 3.17 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage. He had six shutouts in the regular season and three more during the Blazers' 2023 postseason run.

Ernst, who has a full five years of U SPORTS eligibility with the Cougars, will pursue both Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Sport & Recreation Studies degrees at the University of Regina.