Sockeyes Remember Ray Sawada

Photo Credit Richmond Sockeyes

Growing up in Richmond Ray had his sights set on a career playing hockey not only for fun but also making it a career in the sport he loved

His minor career started playing for Richmond Minor Hockey and with help from various coaches he took his first major step and began playing three games with the Sockeyes managing one goal along with six PIMs.

His second season with the Sockeyes he played 36 games finishing with 7 goals, 17 assists along with 155 PIM”s helping the Sockeyes to  win the Championship in 2003.

He advanced  his career and moved on to play with the Nanaimo Clippers where he collected 52 points in only 54 games during the 2003-04 season

In the 2004 NHL Entry Draft he was selected 52nd overall by the Dallas Stars going on to play the next four seasons for the Cornell Big Red men’s team as an Alternate Captain in his final season.

He played 137 games with Cornell scoring 31 goals finishing with 76 points that saw him sign a two-year entry-level contract March 28,2008 with the Dallas Stars.

He made his NHL debut February 19, 2009 which ironically was his 24th birthday, scoring a goal in Dallas’s 4–2 victory over the Oilers.

He played in 11 NHL games between 2008 and 2011 recording one goal but went on to play 287 games in the AHL for the Iowa Stars, St. John’s IceCaps and the Manitoba Moose. 

The 2013–14 season saw him play in the ECHL with the Colorado Eagles finishing with 15 points in 18 games then moved on to join Tappara in SM-Liga in the Finnish Elite League.

He managed to collect three goals and eight points in 29 regular season games where he won a Silver medal with Tappara, 

He went on to sign a one-year contract in the Elite Ice Hockey League with the Belfast Giants for the 2014–15 season. 

He finished his final season of pro with the Oji Eagles of the Asia Ice Hockey League in 2015–16 finishing with 13 goals and 34 points in 33 games.

His AHL career saw him finish with 287 games played, 47 goals, 79 assists and 349 PIM’s while playing in 67 playoff games for a record of 11 goals, 17 assists and 36 PIM’s finishing his NHL career playing 11 games grabbing one goal

Following his career he returned to Richmond where he married his wife Nicole having two children, Victoria and Charlotte.

He went on to become a member of the Burnaby Fire Department and tragically passed away playing the sport he loved.

His memory forever lives on with the Richmond Sockeyes. RIP!!!