Raymond Sawada
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 in the American Hockey League, with subsequent stints in the ECHL, SM-Liiga, Elite Ice Hockey League, and Asia League Ice Hockey. He retired from the sport in 2016 to become a firefighter. Sawada died in 2023 after suffering a fatal heart attack during a recreational hockey game.
| Raymond Sawada | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawada with the Texas Stars in 2012 | |||
| Born | February 19, 1985 Richmond, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Died | April 10, 2023 (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 | Dallas Stars Tappara Belfast Giants Oji Eagles | ||
| NHL Draft | 52nd overall, 2004 Dallas Stars | ||
| Playing career | 2008–2016 | ||
Early life
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
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
Sawada was of Italian and Japanese descent.[13] After retiring from professional ice hockey in 2016, Sawada became a firefighter for 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
| 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 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 52 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 31 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Texas Stars | AHL | 60 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 92 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 20 | ||
| 2009–10 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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 | Liiga | 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
- ^ "Raymond Sawada Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Raymond Sawada – 2007–08 – Men's Ice Hockey". Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Fennell, Don (March 26, 2021). "Sockeyes' success runs deep, extending to the NHL". Richmond Sentinel. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Sawada setting tone in BCHL". British Columbia Hockey League. December 15, 2003. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Clippers Confidential with Raymond Sawada". BCHL Network. June 28, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Stars Make Five Selections on Draft's First Day". National Hockey League. Dallas Stars. June 26, 2004. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Stars sign right wing Raymond Sawada". National Hockey League. Dallas Stars. March 28, 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Raymond Sawada and Fabian Brunnstrom lift Stars past Oilers". National Hockey League. February 20, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Raymond Sawada". Elite Prospects. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Former Stars forward Raymond Sawada dies at age 38". ESPN. Reuters. April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Arkimies, Tuomas (April 12, 2023). "Tapparasta tuttu Raymond Sawada kuoli jääkiekkokaukalossa" (in Finnish). Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "Belfast Giants sign Canadian winger Raymond Sawada". BBC. August 14, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Lance (October 25, 2007). "10 Questions: Ray Sawada". The Cornell Daily Sun. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ "B.C. firefighter and former NHLer Raymond Sawada dies at 38". National Post. April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Wood, Graeme (April 12, 2023). "Father, Burnaby firefighter and former NHL player Ray Sawada mourned". Richmond News. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Chan, Cheryl (April 12, 2023). "Former NHL player and Richmond man dies 'playing the game he loved'". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database