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Raymond Sawada

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Raymond Sawada
Sawada with the Texas Stars in 2012
Born (1985-02-19)February 19, 1985
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Died April 10, 2023(2023-04-10) (aged 38)
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for
NHL draft 52nd overall, 2004
Dallas Stars
Playing career 2008–2016

Raymond Masao Sawada (February 19, 1985 – April 10, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger. The Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected him in the second round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, and he played 11 games with them between 2008 and 2011. Sawada spent most of his career, which lasted from 2008 to 2016, in the American Hockey League, with subsequent stints in the ECHL, SM-Liiga, Elite Ice Hockey League, and Asia League Ice Hockey. After he retired from the sport he become a firefighter. Sawada died in 2023 after suffering a heart attack during a recreational hockey game.

Early life

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Sawada was born on February 19, 1985, in Richmond, British Columbia,[1] to Jack and Regina Sawada.[2] He played minor ice hockey for the Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League, winning a championship with the team in 2003.[3] After that, he was offered a role with the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League,[4] scoring 52 points in 54 games during the 2003–04 season.[5]

Playing career

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The Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected Sawada in the second round, 52nd overall, of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.[6] He spent the next four years playing for the Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey team, serving as co-captain during his final season. Sawada played 137 games with Cornell, during which he scored 31 goals and 76 points.[2] On March 28, 2008, the Stars signed Sawada to a two-year entry-level contract.[7]

Sawada made his NHL debut on February 19, 2009, his 24th birthday, scoring a goal in Dallas's 4–2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.[8] Between 2008 and 2011, Sawada played 11 NHL games, recording only one goal. He also played 287 American Hockey League (AHL) games for the Iowa Stars, Manitoba Moose, and St. John's IceCaps.[9][10]

Sawada began the 2013–14 professional ice hockey season with the Colorado Eagles of the ECHL, waiting for another NHL contract. When one failed to materialize, he left the Eagles after 15 points in 18 games to join Tappara in SM-Liiga.[5] There, Sawada recorded three goals and eight points in 29 regular season games.[11] After winning a silver medal with Tappara, Sawada signed a one-year contract with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League for the 2014–15 season.[12] Sawada played his final season of professional ice hockey with the Oji Eagles of Asia League Ice Hockey in 2015–16, recording 13 goals and 34 points in 33 games.[9]

Personal life

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Sawada was of Italian and Japanese descent.[13] After retiring from professional ice hockey in 2016, Sawada became a firefighter in Burnaby, British Columbia,[14] and he lived in Richmond with his wife Nicole and their two daughters.[15]

On April 10, 2023, Sawada suffered a fatal heart attack while playing recreational ice hockey in Richmond. He was 38.[16]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2001–02 Richmond Sockeyes PIJHL 3 1 0 1 6 — — — — —
2002–03 Richmond Sockeyes PIJHL 36 7 17 24 155 — — — — —
2003–04 Nanaimo Clippers BCHL 54 20 32 52 93 25 6 16 22 22
2004–05 Cornell University ECAC 35 4 5 9 48 — — — — —
2005–06 Cornell University ECAC 35 7 13 20 20 — — — — —
2006–07 Cornell University ECAC 31 10 11 21 29 — — — — —
2007–08 Cornell University ECAC 36 10 16 26 34 — — — — —
2007–08 Iowa Stars AHL 10 2 7 9 14 — — — — —
2008–09 Dallas Stars NHL 5 1 0 1 0 — — — — —
2008–09 Manitoba Moose AHL 52 6 15 21 31 22 4 4 8 4
2009–10 Dallas Stars NHL 5 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2009–10 Texas Stars AHL 60 8 11 19 92 24 3 5 8 20
2010–11 Texas Stars AHL 57 11 18 29 91 6 1 5 6 2
2010–11 Dallas Stars NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2011–12 Texas Stars AHL 26 6 10 16 19 — — — — —
2011–12 St. John's IceCaps AHL 17 1 2 3 14 15 3 3 6 10
2012–13 St. John's IceCaps AHL 65 13 16 29 88 — — — — —
2013–14 Colorado Eagles ECHL 18 7 8 15 26 — — — — —
2013–14 Tappara FIN 29 3 5 8 10 1 0 0 0 2
2014–15 Belfast Giants EIHL 52 21 38 59 89 4 2 2 4 2
2015–16 Oji Eagles ALH 33 13 21 34 58 2 2 0 2 2
AHL totals 287 47 79 126 349 67 11 17 28 36
NHL totals 11 1 0 1 0 — — — — —

Source: [9]

References

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  1. ^ "Raymond Sawada Stats and News". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Raymond Sawada – 2007–08 – Men's Ice Hockey". Cornell University Athletics. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  3. ^ Fennell, Don (March 26, 2021). "Sockeyes' success runs deep, extending to the NHL". Richmond Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "Sawada setting tone in BCHL". British Columbia Hockey League. December 15, 2003. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Clippers Confidential with Raymond Sawada". BCHL Network. June 28, 2021. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  6. ^ "Stars Make Five Selections on Draft's First Day". National Hockey League. Dallas Stars. June 26, 2004. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  7. ^ "Stars sign right wing Raymond Sawada". National Hockey League. Dallas Stars. March 28, 2008. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "Raymond Sawada and Fabian Brunnstrom lift Stars past Oilers". National Hockey League. February 20, 2009. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Raymond Sawada". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  10. ^ "Former Stars forward Raymond Sawada dies at age 38". ESPN. Reuters. April 12, 2023. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  11. ^ Arkimies, Tuomas (April 12, 2023). "Tapparasta tuttu Raymond Sawada kuoli jääkiekkokaukalossa" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  12. ^ "Belfast Giants sign Canadian winger Raymond Sawada". BBC. August 14, 2014. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  13. ^ Williams, Lance (October 25, 2007). "10 Questions: Ray Sawada". The Cornell Daily Sun. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  14. ^ "B.C. firefighter and former NHLer Raymond Sawada dies at 38". National Post. April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  15. ^ Wood, Graeme (April 12, 2023). "Father, Burnaby firefighter and former NHL player Ray Sawada mourned". Richmond News. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  16. ^ Chan, Cheryl (April 12, 2023). "Former NHL player and Richmond man dies 'playing the game he loved'". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
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