“Cochrane is my roots. It's my hometown and I'm proud to be from Cochrane first and foremost.”

Life has gone full circle for former NHLer Mason Raymond as he returns home to where it all began for a new business venture.

“My parents are still on an active farm just 10 minutes east of Cochrane and this is where I played all my minor hockey. So, hockey has been my life all the way up until, like five years ago.”

Raymond began his journey playing in the Cochrane Minor Hockey League and moved through the ranks in Alberta, eventually landing a scholarship in Minnesota. “After school, I was lucky enough to be drafted by the Canucks, I was very fortunate to play six years in Vancouver, one year in Toronto, two years and a bit here in Calgary with the Flames who I grew up idolizing and a small stint in Anaheim.”

From the NHL, Raymond jumped overseas which lead him to eventually play for Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics and bring home a bronze medal.

Now that he has hung up the skates on his professional hockey career, Raymond has returned to his hometown as the new owner of Cochrane GM.

“To be able to go back to your hometown and provide for locals is something that I'm super interested in doing. It's a big, beautiful building and we welcome anybody to come in to check it out and look forward to getting more local here and providing good service.”

To celebrate, he is inviting Cochranites to come by this weekend (February 10 and 11) to check out authentic NHL gear and contests. “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.”

“I have spent more time in Cochrane in the last 60 days since we took over December 1 than I have in the last 20 years since I graduated. It's super fun to network and that's what local is all about, the people you meet that are living in this great town.”