Sara MoultonFree Press Staff
Like so many youngsters who have grown up in the Elk Valley since the early 1990s, Jeff Rayman would always want to watch the Fernie Ghostriders play on a Friday or Saturday night. He put on a tiny version of the Riders’ uniform and began playing hockey at age four, dreaming of someday skating in front of his hometown crowd.
Now 18, Rayman is tearing it up as a Spokane Chief in the Western Hockey League. The six-foot-three defenseman was picked up by the club for the 2013-14 season after attending training camp for the second time.
“It was just a flood of emotions because I’d always wanted to play in the WHL,” says Rayman, reflecting on his experience of being selected to the Chiefs.
“I was elated, I couldn’t believe it, it was a dream come true for me.”
While his inaugural season in the WHL was spent learning the ropes and adapting to the intensity of major junior hockey, Rayman spent the summer of 2014 working with former NHL player and fellow Fernie local Jason Krog to step up his performance.
“I told [Krog] that I wanted to make a push to get drafted to the NHL, and he took me under his wing and pushed me the farthest I’ve ever been pushed before … when you train with Jason, well, the guy is an animal,” Rayman laughs.
The hard work has certainly paid off for the 2014-15 campaign, with Rayman skating in 45 tilts and earning five assists as of Feb. 14. He credits his mentor for his increased amount of ice time and a more prominent presence on the squad, including participating in special teams and acting as a leader to some of his younger teammates. The experience of leaving a small-town home for an opportunity in a big city is one that Rayman still remembers well, and he acknowledges the role of teammates and billet families in helping new recruits to adapt to their new environment.
Although there is only a small window of time for athletes to return home for the holidays, the opportunity to see friends and family is something they look forward to. Having played a season with the Ghostriders in 2012-13, Rayman has former teammates who are still in Fernie, including current captain Dylan Robertson.
“It’s always nice to see your friends succeed and I’m proud of him,” says Robertson of his younger comrade.
He adds with a smile “Playing with him in his 16-year-old year … I remember his first goal; it was this shot from the point through traffic and it found the twine. I’m pretty sure I was on the ice for it.”
As for the future, Rayman’s updated goal since joining the WHL is to make the jump to professional hockey, with the ultimate dream of someday playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he is also dedicated to his education and is considering the option of university in the future. Rayman even won the Spokane Chiefs’ Scholastic Player of the Year award for his academic efforts in 2014, balancing his final year of high school with his rookie season in the WHL.
Ultimately, Rayman sees his experience with the Spokane Chiefs as one of personal growth and development rather than of singular focus on advancing within the sport.
“If you go pro, so be it. But if they can turn you into a better person than you already are, then their job is done. Spokane preaches that and they do a great job, I’ve never met one Spokane Chief who wasn’t a great guy.
“The coaching that I’ve had, the person that they’ve turned me into and the improvements that I’ve made as a hockey player from two years ago are unreal. I wouldn’t change a thing."