Born in Paris in 1875, Raoul Le Mat had a diverse life that saw him become a film director and an ice hockey coach. In the latter Le Mat helped introduce the sport to Sweden after the end of the First World War. In 1920 he served as the team manager and coach of the Swedish ice hockey team when they competed at their first international competition at the Olympics in Antwerpen. The match between Sweden and Belgium, which Sweden won 8–0, opened the Games, with Sweden eventually going on to finish fourth. Le Mat also refereed in the second match of the Games, between the United States and Switzerland.
Back in Sweden, Le Mat as one of the founders of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association in 1922. That same year he also refereed in the final game of the national championships. Since 1926 the Le Mat Trophy has been awarded to the Swedish champion in ice hockey. The trophy was funded by support from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film company, with Le Mat owning a film production and distribution company affiliated with MGM.
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