Mason Raymond, a former NHL player for the Vancouver Canucks, has returned to Cochrane, Alberta, after a successful 11-year career in hockey.
Raymond’s impressive hockey career started at the age of five when he played in the Cochrane Minor Hockey League. Soon after, his skills led him to the Airdrie Xtreme bantam AAA team from 2001 to 2002.
Before Raymond knew it, he played for teams across North America, including the Camrose Kodiaks, the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, and the Manitoba Moose.
As a rookie with the Camrose Kodiaks, Raymond put 27 shots in the back of the net and earned 62 points during the 2003 to 2004 season. But Raymond didn’t reach the heights he did by skill alone; his hard work took him just as far.
During the 2005 Doyle Cup, Raymond pushed himself so hard that he was hospitalized with dehydration and exhaustion. While in the hospital, his weight dropped to just 150 pounds.
In 2005, Raymond was drafted by none other than the arch-rival Vancouver Canucks. But Raymond didn’t reach the pinnacle of his career until 2018 when he helped Team Canada secure bronze at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
With such an incredible accomplishment under his belt, Raymond decided to retire. Now, he has returned to his home in Cochrane to dip his toes in the business world and give back to the community that raised him.
“Yes, here I am, back in my hometown, looking to put everything I’ve learned in the hockey world and the parallels in business, looking to bring it into the dealership and provide for locals,” Raymond told Cochrane Today.
As of December 1, 2022, Raymond took over Cochrane’s GM car dealership as its president. He also owns around 750 heads of cattle at his parents’ farm about 10 minutes kilometres east of Cochrane.
To celebrate his big return home to the small town, Raymond invites locals to stop by his dealership to check out his NHL gear.
“I’m gonna have a bunch of memorabilia there, a bunch of my game-worn jerseys and my Olympic medal. If you wear a jersey of any choice, you can get your name into a draw to win four tickets to a Calgary Flames game,” said Raymond.
Raymond hopes to take everything he has learned from his hockey career and put it toward helping his neighbours. If there were a Stanley Cup for car dealerships, we are sure Raymond would win it.
