Career
He played with the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association in the 1912-1913 season. In 1924 the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York hired Mr. Marchand to coach its ice hockey and soccer teams, The Black Knights.
He held that post for the next 20 years – the second longest tenure of any Army hockey coach before or since.
That same year, for the first time in program history, Marchand took his ice hockey team, the Black Knights, across the boarder to face the Royal Military College of Canada (Royal Military College) in Kingston, Ontario. While the Paladins downed the Cadets,10-5, in 1935 the Black Knights ended their 15 game losing streak with a 4-4 tie, and in 1939 they enjoyed their first victory, 3-2.
The Royal Military College vs United States Military Academy game is the most-played rivalry at the Academy to this day. The idea for this match-up between the Canadian and American service academies was crafted by then Brigade
General Douglas MacArthur and Royal Military College’s commandant, Major.Gen.
Sir Archibald MacDonnell. During Marchand"s first nine years coaching the United States Military Academy ice hockey team, games were held during the winter on “The Plain” adjacent to Arvin Gym. During those days, the area was flooded with water in late fall so a rink could form by midwinter.
In 1931, Marchand oversaw the opening of the Academy"s indoor Smith Rink, where the present day Herbert Hall stands.
Raymond Wilfred Marchand died in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York on April 6,1969.
