Cochrane GM once again became a hub of holiday generosity this weekend as the dealership hosted the Calgary Flames Alumni Toy Drive for the third straight year, blending hockey nostalgia with the spirit of Christmas giving.
Families streamed through the showroom on Dec. 13, arms full of new, unwrapped toys, to meet former Flames blueliners Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich, alongside Cochrane GM president Mason Raymond, who played five seasons with the Flames. The gifts will be distributed to children from newborn to age 12 who might otherwise go without presents this Christmas.
Flames alumni Robyn Regehr, Mason Raymond and Cory Sarich with just a few of the youth attending the event.
For Regehr, who made a major impact as a Flames blueliner for 11 seasons, the toy drive has become a meaningful tradition for the Flames alumni, now in its seventh year.
“We do quite a few events, but this one is special,” Regehr said. “I’ve been fortunate the past three years to actually be there on Christmas Eve delivering the toys with our two sons. Even on the drive home, my boys said, ‘Dad, that was amazing to be a part of.’ It really sticks with you.”
Sarich, who won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning at age 25 before playing five seasons with the Flames, said the impact stretches beyond individual families, with surplus gifts also supporting organizations such as the WINS shelter and Inn from the Cold.
“It’s overwhelming how many gifts the alumni are able to raise,” Sarich said. “We also get together with our families for one big wrapping day. It’s fun, but it also reminds you how far this reaches into the community.”
Raymond, who appeared in the 2011 Stanley Cup final with the Vancouver Canucks before becoming a Flame, now serves on the alumni executive board. He said hosting the toy drive at Cochrane GM is a point of pride.
“This is our third annual toy drive here at the dealership, and for me and my family, it’s been really special,” Raymond said. “We’ve got a deep group of alumni that support a lot of great causes, and this one touches so many people. If I can help spread some holiday cheer, that’s something I’m proud of.”
Raymond and his family have joined in on wrapping the gifts with families of other alumni and have helped deliver the presents.
It’s moments like that which underscore why the toy drive matters.
“When you’re on the doorstep delivering gifts on Christmas Eve, it’s powerful,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to be able to give back — and to do it together as a community.”
Regehr credited Raymond’s leadership and community focus for helping carry the alumni legacy forward.
“Mason’s young, ambitious, and he cares deeply about giving back,” Regehr said. “He sits on our executive board, and we allocate about $200,000 a year to charitable causes in Calgary and southern Alberta. We need younger alumni involved to keep this going.”
Cochrane causes have been among those the alumni have supported.
There was also plenty of lighthearted nostalgia inside the showroom. Raymond joked about facing Regehr and Sarich — he named the Flames’ “twin towers” on defence — during his playing days with the Canucks, while Sarich laughed about trying to keep up with Raymond’s speed on the ice. They’ve also trained together in the past.
Wide-eyed eight-year-old Gordon was among the first in line, clutching hockey cards as he waited patiently for autographs. A shy smile spread across his face as the players signed each one.
“It was pretty cool,” Gordon said quietly. “I haven’t met lots of those guys, and I have a lot of these cards.”
Later in the day, Gordon was looking forward to his own hockey game in Mînî Thnî.
RELATED STORIES
Calgarian Yash Purohit brought along a photo of Regehr lifting the Stanley Cup from his time with the Los Angeles Kings, eager to add the finishing touch to one of his prized pieces of memorabilia.
“I’ve been to over 60 Flames games,” Purohit said. “It’s pretty cool to meet these guys.”
Calgarian Yash Purohit displays the photograph signed by Robyn Regehr. Cochrane Now/Noel Edey
He remembers meeting Sarich during the 2011 season, and it was around that time he began collecting sports memorabilia, which he continues to proudly display in his home, pulling up a photograph he keeps on his phone.
“My dad and I used to go to practices, and we’d wait outside in the cold to see if any players would stop. That’s where it kind of started. We’d go to practices once a year and get stuff signed.”
Outside of the event, donations are being accepted at Cochrane GM until Dec. 15.