Former Canucks goalie Eddie Lack is back in business in Vancouver

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Are drivers heading east on Vancouver’s Grandview Highway ready to turn right and head south?

Former Vancouver Canuck Eddie Lack hopes so.

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Lack, the lanky Sweden goalie who was a fan favorite almost a decade ago, is thriving in his second career as a real estate agent in Arizona, where he settled after his playing career ended with persistent hip problems.

“I hope there’s a lot of red lights over there,” he joked Monday morning after the sign was spotted by a Postmedia editor.

“I usually get calls when it starts raining in Vancouver, so I think it’s a pretty good timing.”

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He estimates that about 30 percent of his business, which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, comes from Canadians looking for investment properties and second homes.

“For many of my customers, it is the most expensive purchase of their lives. I’m really honored to help them,” he said.

Always known for his upbeat personality and outgoing nature, he knows these traits are well suited to working in the real estate field.

“I joked with my wife Jonna last week that I love people… most of the time,” Lack said, laughing.

Being a former hockey player has also helped Canadians, he admitted.

“I think that’s my way of getting my foot in the door. From there it’s up to me to prove to clients that I can do the job,” he said.

“When I get Canadians coming down, I think they’re always a little skeptical at first. “He’s a hockey player, so he knows what he’s doing?” But when they see me, they usually know I know,” he said.

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Real estate is a bit like a family business.

“I invested in real estate while still playing at home in Sweden. My family makes a lot of this at home and they taught me how to do it,” Lack explained.

“My wife and I have decided to settle in Arizona instead of cold Sweden. I bought some rental properties here and decided to get my license. That was always in my plans. Of course I wish I was still playing, but I felt like it was fun. It’s a way of helping people and guiding them.”

Lack underwent major hip surgery in late 2019. While recovering, he decided to start studying for his real estate license.

“Then I had to wait to decide if I was actually going to retire,” he said.

He started as a real estate agent around Christmas 2019 but only decided a few months later that his playing career was completely over.

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The retirement was forced through injury, but he is fine with the end of his hockey career.

“I guess I’ll always ask what ifs,” he admitted. “I see my friends that I grew up with and they’re still playing and getting these great contracts. I will always ask – what if? – but I’m super happy with where I am. I don’t wake up in pain. I don’t worry about playing at night.”

And he gets a special bonus: he is always there for his daughter.

“My daughter Sophia is almost two now. I’m there every day,” he said. “It is so important. Build that relationship with her from the start. That’s what a lot of hockey players complain about, being away so much that they miss a lot with their kids – their first steps and so on. I’m lucky for that.”

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