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Ray Kraemer, MAHA vice president and longtime hockey supporter, passes away

MiHockey Staff
Ray Kraemer accepts his 2005 Michigan Hockey Person of the Year award from Perani's Mike Sanders. (Photo from the MiHockey archives)
Ray Kraemer accepts his 2006 Michigan Hockey Person of the Year award from Mike Sander of Perani’s Hockey World. (Photo from the MiHockey archives)

 

By @MichaelCaples –

The Michigan hockey community lost an invaluable member last night.

Ray Kraemer, the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association’s vice president and director of adult hockey and longtime MAHA board member, passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 71.

Kraemer, a Clinton Township native, spent more than 60 years with the sport of hockey, serving various coaching, administrative and leadership roles to help grow the game at the state and national levels.

“The Michigan hockey community has lost an impressive individual,” said MAHA president George Atkinson in a statement. “Ray Kraemer meant a great deal to us, and he meant a great deal to the sport he cherished so dearly. The world won’t be the same place without him.”

He was named the USA Hockey Adult Member of the Year in 2005. At one point in his tenure as adult men’s director and vice president of MAHA, he had helped increase adult hockey participation by 250 percent in Michigan.

The longtime hockey advocate also served as president of the Adray Community Hockey League for two seasons, and was on the Adray board of directors for 10.

Kraemer was also a key figure in organizing the first-ever USA Hockey Disabled Festival in February of 2005.

  • His MAHA committee experience was lengthy, as well:
  • Rules Committee (nine years)
  • State Tournament Committee (24 years)
  • Guidebook Committee (25 years)
  • Special committees – Physical and Sexual Abuse Committee, National Playoffs Committee, Redistricting Committee, Awards Committee, Arena Relations Committee

Kraemer was a long-time employee of General Motors before retiring and spending even more time with the game of hockey.

 

The MiHockey staff’s thoughts and prayers are with the Kraemer family and all the people Kraemer influenced at rinks across the state. More information will be provided soon.