Former NHL player Raymond Sawada, who played for the Dallas Stars in the 2008-09 season, died Monday of a heart attack at age 38 while playing a friendly recreational hockey game with the Richmond Cowboys in Vancouver, Canada.
Sawada's family announced his death while his former NHL team released a statement of condolences regarding the player's passing.
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. 💚 pic.twitter.com/x2vuOinbJ4
— x - Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 12, 2023
Sawada, a second-round pick in the 2004 NHL draft, played 11 total games and scored one goal before moving to the AHL. He attended Cornell University from 2004 to 2008, where he was a team captain.
The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Raymond Sawada has passed away at the young age of 38.
Sawada was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2004 @NHL Entry Draft to the @DallasStars. He played 11 games with the team, scoring a point.
Raymond’s love for the game… pic.twitter.com/UTNmWGYEcc
— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) April 12, 2023
Sawada retired from professional field hockey in 2016 and began working as a firefighter in the city of Burnaby, Canada.