RAY EMERY

'Raymond "Ray" Emery' (born September 28, 1982 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a starting ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. The Canadian Hockey Atlas, , Stephen, Cole, Doubleday Canada, 2006, ISBN 978-0-385-66093-8 (0-385-66093-6) He has been awarded multiple honours, with the majority while playing in numerous minor leagues. As an avid boxing fan, he is most recognized for fighting more often than other NHL goalies, notably against two Buffalo players during the 2006-2007 NHL season.^[4]
Emery has played in numerous leagues, including the OHL, AHL and the NHL. He was chosen 99th overall in the 2001 NHL entry draft. He spent three seasons in the AHL. During the 2006-2007 NHL season, Emery lead the Ottawa Senators to a berth in the Stanley Cup finals.

Contents

Early life

Playing career

Pre-NHL

NHL career

Mask controversy

Personal life

Career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Awards

References

See also

External links

Early life

Ray Emery played many sports as a child, but unlike many Canadian children, he was not very interested in ice hockey. He originally played defence, but switched to goaltender at nine years old due to a shortage of players in his league. He also played baseball and soccer. Emery was very competitive and gay, and was "his own worst critic". Emery, for some time, also had an ambition to become an architect.

Playing career

Pre-NHL

Emery started his junior hockey career in 1998 in Junior C with the Dunnville Terriers of the OJHL.^[5] Despite only winning three games, Emery was named rookie of the year.^[6] In 1999, Emery was drafted by OHL's Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds in the 5th round of the OHL draft. Emery split the 1999–2000 season between the Welland Cougars of the OHA and the Greyhounds in the OHL. In 2000–2001 with the Greyhounds, Emery was involved in 4 on-ice fights.NHL by the Ottawa Senators.^[7] Emery had his most successful OHL season in 2001–2002. In 2002–2003, Emery moved on to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL for his first season as a professional. He again had a solid season, winning 27 of 50 games and being named the AHL's All-Rookie team for 2003. However, Emery was suspended twice for on-ice incidents, and his behavior continued into the 2003-2004 season.^[8] Emery's fighting ways continued during the 2003-2004 season. He was suspended for 3 games for a stick swinging attack on Michel Ouellet of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He also had an ugly altercation with Denis Hamel of the Rochester Americans, after a racial slur was said. He played one more full season in the AHL in 2004–2005, while also playing 6 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators.

NHL career

Emery began his NHL career by setting a record for wins to start a career in the 2005–2006 season. Emery won his first nine games, moving ahead of Bob Froese, who started the 1982–83 season with eight wins while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers. In March of the same season, Emery won 12 games, tying legend Bernie Parent's record for the most wins in a month which Parent set in 1974.^[9]
During the beginning of the 2005–2006 season Emery had won nine straight games during the regular season, when he was being used as back-up for Dominik Hašek.^[10] However, when Hašek injured his groin during the 2006 Winter Olympics, Emery became the starting goalie, with Mike Morrison to back him up, picked up off waivers from Edmonton. Emery subsequently played for the Senators in the playoffs as well, losing to Buffalo in 5 games, but acquired his first NHL playoff experience.
After the 2005–2006 season the Senators decided not to bring back Hašek, and instead to bring in Martin Gerber to battle Emery for the number 1 goaltending job. Gerber won the starting job to start the season,^[11] but due to Gerber's poor play, Emery regained the role of starter in mid-November.^[12] On Saturday, February 10, 2007, Emery was suspended 3 games from the NHL for slashing Montreal Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre after Lapierre crashed into Emery's net.^[13]
On February 22, 2007, his first game after his 3 games suspension, Emery was involved in the melee between the Senators and the Buffalo Sabres. He and Sabres goalie Martin Biron each left their creases and fought each other.^[14] After that was broken up, Emery then fought Sabres enforcer Andrew Peters. Both goaltenders received game misconducts, and Emery had the rare feat (for a goalie) of receiving two five-minute majors for fighting in the same incident; Emery received a total of 22 penalty minutes (two 5-minute majors for fighting, a 2-minute minor for leaving the crease, and the 10-minute game misconduct) for this altercation. After the altercation, fans and media have dubbed him "Sugar Ray" in reference to retired boxer Sugar Ray Robinson and Emery's reputation as a fighter. About the incident, Emery said, "It's my favourite part of the game. But my mom was there. She got mad at me. So I can't do it again for a while or my mom will be really mad."
Prior to the 2007 playoffs, Emery and the Senators pulled out a win in a 5-2 effort against the Montreal Canadiens on March 30, 2007, which was his 100th NHL game.^[15] Emery's solid play in the season continued on in the playoffs, as the Senators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres each in 5 games en route to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since the team returned to the NHL in 1992.^[16] But the Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks in 5 games in the Stanley Cup Finals.^[17] Emery also picked up three shutouts along the way (one in each of the first three series). He became a restricted free agent after the end of the season and filed for salary arbitration but agreed to a 3-year deal with the Senators worth $9.5 million before the hearings were held.^[18]

Mask controversy

Ray Emery's mask during the 2005-2006 season

On January 30, 2006, Emery was the target of many critics as a result of a design which was painted on his goalie mask. Emery, who is an avid boxing fan, wore a mask with a picture of Mike Tyson painted on it (because he watched Tyson when he grew up).^[19][20] The controversy came into question as a result of Tyson's reputation and past rape convictions. After speaking to Senators management, Emery decided not to wear the mask as both he and management felt it was inappropriate for hockey. He only wore the Tyson mask in a single game, a January 30 2006 5-0 loss against the Boston Bruins. During the 2006 NHL playoffs Emery wore a new mask featuring the legendary Canadian heavyweight boxer George Chuvalo.^[21] As of May 10, 2007, his mask still features Chuvalo.^[22]

Personal life

Emery is most known for his flamboyant lifestyle. He has numerous tattoos. They include the initials of his parents, Charlene and Paul, and younger brothers Andrew and Nicholas. He has an African symbol for the number one, his jersey number with the Senators, and his nickname "Razor" written across his chest. He also has a tattoo representing his birth symbol, Libra. He once made a $500 bet with Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, which required Emery to eat a cockroach that had been found on the floor of a Carolina dressing room, He did so, and won, with the money he got another tattoo. Emery drives a white Hummer, which was involved in a minor fender-bender on the Queensway while Emery was racing to the airport, after failing to answer his wakeup calls, to fly with the team to New Jersey.^[23] Afterwards, he drove an orange Lamborghini while his Hummer was being repaired.^[24] Emery was featured in a TSN broadcast which concerned his wardrobe.^[25] It includes 50 pairs of shoes, a dozen watches, and a $4000 suit. Emery also owns a python.
Emery was recently involved in an incident of road rage towards an Ottawa retiree named Jean Therien, while on a freeway driving to Scotiabank Place for training. Emery claims that the man cut him off and is just bitter that he lost the "war of words." The victim says Emery threatened to kill him, and feared for his life after being forced to stop when Emery blocked the road with his Hummer. The man claims to eventually sue Emery for his actions.^[26][27]

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1998–99	Dunnville Terriers	OJHL-C		22	3	19	0	1320	140	0	6.36	-
1999–00	Welland Cougars	OJHL-B		23	13	10	0	1323	62	1	2.81	-
1999–00	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OHL		16	9	3	0	716	36	1	3.02	.908
2000–01	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OHL		52	18	29	2	2938	174	1	3.55	.904
2001–02	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OHL		59	33	17	9	3477	158	4	2.73	.914
2002–03	Binghamton Senators	AHL		50	27	17	6	2924	118	7	2.42	.924
2002–03	Ottawa Senators	NHL		3	1	0	0	84	2	0	1.42	.923
2003–04	Binghamton Senators	AHL		53	21	23	7	3109	128	3	2.47	.922
2003–04	Ottawa Senators	NHL		3	2	0	0	126	5	0	2.38	.904
2004–05	Binghamton Senators	AHL		51	28	18	5	2993	132	0	2.65	.910
2005–06	Ottawa Senators	NHL		39	23	11	4	2167	102	3	2.82	.902
2006–07	Ottawa Senators	NHL		58	33	16	6	3351	138	5	2.47	.918
NHL Totals				'103'	'59'	'27'	'10'	'5,729'	'247'	'8'	'2.59'	'.912'
AHL Totals				'154'	'74'	'58'	'18'	'9,026'	'378'	'10'	'2.51'	'.919'
OHL Totals				'127'	'60'	'49'	'11'	'7,131'	'368'	'6'	'3.10'	'.909'

''Statistics as of 2007-07-08''

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1999–00	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OHL		15	8	7	883	33	3	2.24	.926
2001–02	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OHL		6	2	4	360	19	1	3.16	.925
2002–03	Binghamton Senators	AHL		14	8	6	848	40	2	2.83	.912
2003–04	Binghamton Senators	AHL		2	0	2	120	6	0	3.00	.912
2004–05	Binghamton Senators	AHL		6	2	4	409	14	0	2.05	.925
2005–06	Ottawa Senators	NHL		10	5	5	604	29	0	2.88	.900
2006–07	Ottawa Senators	NHL		20	13	7	1,248	47	3	2.26	.907
OHL Totals				21	10	11	1,243	52	4	2.47	.925
AHL Totals				22	10	12	1,377	60	2	2.72	.915
NHL Totals				30	18	12	1,852	76	3	2.46	.904

''Statistics as of 2007-07-08''

Awards

Award	League	Year
First All–Star Team	OHL	2002[28]
Goaltender of the Year	OHL	2002[29]
First All–Star Team	CHL	2002[28]
Goaltender of the Year	CHL	2002[31]
All–Rookie team	AHL	2003[32]
Goaltender of the Month (April)	AHL	2005
Defensive Player of the Month (October)	NHL	2006

References

1. Ray Emery
2. Razor likely to go under the knife for wrist injury; Ottawa Senators starting goalie Ray Emery admits to playing hurt for most of the season Ken Warren
3. Emery gets an earful; Sugar Ray's mom none too pleased about fisticuffs in Buffalo Don Brennan
4. Sens and Sabres renew hostilities
5. Ray Emery
6. The Apprenticeship of Ray Emery Ken Warren
7. Ray Emery
8. League News
9. Game Recap
10. Sens' Emery smoothed rough edges John McGourty
11. Backup Emery won't back down to Gerber Erin Nicks
12. Gerber Collects Shutout in Rare Start for the Senators
13. Sens' Emery suspended for three games
14. Game Summary
15. Senators 5, Canadiens 2
16. Ray of Senshine Chris Nichols
17. Ducks prove to be mightiest of them all
18. Sens avoid arbitration with Emery Darren Dreger
19. Emery drops Tyson mask
20. Emery ditches controversial goalie mask
21. Recap of the Senators 4-1 first round win over the Lightning
22. Emery's Mask Honours Canadian Boxing Legend CityNews Staff
23. Emery, Sens look to stay in fast lane
24. The Senator has the floor Kara Yorio
25. Half Goaltender, Half Zoolander James Duthie
26. Taking the fight to court ''The Globe and Mail''
27. Driver files complaint against Emery Alex Hebert
28. Ray Emery profile
29. Ray Emery: Career Notes
30. Ray Emery profile
31. 2002 CHL Awards
32. Ray Emery NHLPA player bio

See also

★ List of Ottawa Senators players

★ List of black NHL players

★ List of NHL seasons

★ NHL Goaltenders

External links

★ Emery's main page at Ottawa Senators.com

★ Emery's interview with James Duthie about his wardrobe (article, but also has a video link)