Riley Cote Leaves Professional Hockey for Hemp

Former professional ice hockey player Riley Cote recently left his career in hockey to pursue his endeavor, the Hemp Heals Foundation. The organization promotes sustainable agriculture, health and clean natural medicine. The former hockey star has been a hemp advocate for years. This summer, Cote announced that he is leaving hockey for good to focus on his hemp side hustle.

Cote played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers and coached the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League (AHL).  Cote’s sister was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis which is one of the reasons he was attracted to holistic medicine. Cote is now a board member of the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council.

Last month, Cote helped plant hundreds of pounds of industrial hemp seeds in eastern Pennsylvania. The event was made possible under Pennsylvania’s new Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program, which the State Department of Agriculture launched in December 2016. The hemp will be used to make health products. “I started transitioning from Whey protein to digestible hemp protein,” Cote told WFMZ. It’s not the first time Cote would attend the event. Cote is promoting the 6th annual Hemp Heals Music Festival on August 4 at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event will feature musical acts including Rebelution and Collie Buddz. Past Hemp Heals events have included music acts such as 311 and Matisyahu.

The money generated from the festival will go toward educating people about the health and sustainability benefits of hemp. Cote said that his main source of protein is hemp seeds, which he blends with bananas, cacao and dates, which he cites as his post-workout smoothie. Hemp is a 100 percent renewable crop with multiple health benefits, which is the message Cote wants to send to the world.