Ex-NHL star dies aged 38 after suffering heart attack during ice hockey game

13 April 2023 , 12:27

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Raymond Sawada played in 11 NHL games for the Dallas Stars (Image: NHLI via Getty Images)

Former NHL star Raymond Sawada has died aged 38 after he suffered a heart attack while playing hockey.

Sawada enjoyed a long professional hockey career. He played for the Dallas Stars from 2008 to 2011, scoring one goal from right wing in 11 appearances.

However, most of his career was spent in the American Hockey League, where he appeared 287 times for the Iowa Stars, Manitoba Moose and St. John’s IceCaps. Sawada also spent time with the Colorado Eagles of the ECHL, before moving to Finland, Great Britain and Japan with Tappara, the Belfast Giants and the Oil Eagles respectively.

After scoring 13 goals and recording 34 points in 33 appearances for the Eagles in the Asia League Ice Hockey, Sawada retired in 2016. He returned home to Richmond - a suburb of Vancouver - to become a firefighter following the end of his sporting career.

According to Richmond News , Sawada suffered cardiac failure on Monday night at a recreational league game that he reportedly frequently played in. The city of Richmond in British Columbia confirmed a medical emergency occurred that night at one of its rinks.

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Sawada is survived by his wife Nicole and two daughters, nine-year-old Victoria and six-year-old Charlotte. His family announced his death with a statement on a Go Fund Me page.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the sudden passing of Ray Sawada,” the statement read. “At age 38, Ray passed away on the evening of Monday April 10, 2023, while playing the game he loved.

Raymond Sawada left the NHL in 2011 and enjoyed a fine career abroad (NHLI via Getty Images)

“Ray grew up and lived in the City of Richmond. He was a hard-working firefighter for the City of Burnaby.

“He joined Burnaby Fire in 2017 and has been an integral part of the department where he served with distinction and honour.”

Tributes from the world of hockey poured in with his former NHL team, the Stars, taking to social media to post a touching message: “It is with heavy hearts we mourn the passing of former Stars player, Raymond Sawada.

“Our love goes out to his family, friends, and all the people he impacted in hockey and as a firefighter in his community.”

Andrew Gamble