Ray Emery
Encyclopedia
Ray Emery often nicknamed Razor or Sugar Ray, is a Canadian professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

, currently with the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

. He formerly played for the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, and the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL) and Atlant Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....

 (KHL). He has been awarded multiple honors. Emery led the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 to the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 finals in 2007, making it the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 first trip to the finals since 1927. They later lost to Anaheim Ducks.

Emery was chosen 99th overall by the Senators in the 2001 NHL entry draft
2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...

. During the 2006–07 season, Emery signed a three-year deal with the Senators worth $9.5 million of starting goaltender for the Ottawa Senators in their run to the Stanley Cup Finals
2007 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2007 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2006–07 season. As a culmination of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Western Conference champion Anaheim Ducks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Ottawa Senators in...

. However, on June 20, 2008, the Ottawa Senators waived Emery, and then bought out his contract after a string of off-ice incidents caused the organization to sour on him. On July 9, 2008, it was announced that Emery had signed a one-year, $2M contract with Atlant Mytishchi of the Russian KHL.

On June 10, 2009, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that Emery had signed a one-year deal for a reported $1.5 million. In March 2010, GM Paul Holmgren announced that Emery would be out for remainder of the season due to avascular necrosis
Avascular necrosis
Avascular necrosis is a disease where there is cellular death of bone components due to interruption of the blood supply. Without blood, the bone tissue dies and the bone collapses...

 and that a bone graft would be done to alleviate his hip issues. Doctors were able to catch the disease early on before it spread, and in April, the surgery was declared to be extremely successful. In July, Emery began the grueling and tedious workout and rehabilitation process.

On February 7, 2011, Emery signed a one year, two-way contract
Two-way contract
A two-way contract is a professional sports contract which stipulates that an athlete’s salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play in...

 with the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 and led the Ducks into the playoffs, finishing tied for fourth in the league and posting a 7–2–0 record with 2.28 goals-against average (GAA) and .926 save percentage (SV%) in 10 regular season NHL appearances.

In July 2011, it was announced that Emery would be attending the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

 training camp on a tryout basis. On October 3, 2011, the Blackhawks announced they had signed Emery to a 1-year, $600,000 deal.

Early life

Emery was born the eldest of three brothers, Andrew and Nicholas, to Charlene and Paul Emery. He grew up on a century-old farmhouse in Cayuga, Ontario
Cayuga, Ontario
Cayuga is an unincorporated community and county seat in the province of Ontario, Canada located at the intersection of Highway 3 and Munsee Street and along the Grand River in Haldimand County. Cayuga is about a 20 minute drive from Lake Erie and 30 minutes south of Hamilton and 115 minutes south...

, where he attended high school and excelled in sports. He played many sports other than hockey, including golf, baseball, and soccer. In ice hockey, he originally played defence, but switched to goaltender at nine years old due to a shortage of goaltenders in his league. He was very competitive and was "his own worst critic". For some time before turning to professional hockey, Emery had an ambition to become an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

.

Pre-NHL

Emery decided to commit to hockey on the advice of his mother, and tried out unsuccessfully for eight different junior teams. He started his junior hockey career in 1998 in Junior C with the Dunnville Terriers of the OJHL. Despite winning three games out of 22 played, Emery was named Rookie of the Year.

Emery was drafted by OHL's
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey...

 in the 5th round of the 1999 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 four on-ice fights. In 2001, Emery was drafted by the Ottawa Senators and subsequently enjoyed his most successful OHL season in 2001–2002.

In 2002–2003, Emery joined the Binghamton Senators
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...

 of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 for his first professional season. He won 27 of 50 games and was named to the AHL's All-Rookie team. Emery was suspended twice for on-ice incidents the same season, and such behavior continued into the 2003–2004 season. He was suspended for three games for bumping a referee, and he was involved in an altercation with Denis Hamel
Denis Hamel
Denis Jean Hamel is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently playing for the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League . A former star in junior, Hamel has not been able to translate his scoring success in junior to the National Hockey League , although he has had...

 of the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...

, when Hamel admittedly uttered a racial slur. Emery retaliated and was suspended for three games. Emery and Hamel later became teammates in Binghamton, and Hamel apologized for "for not thinking about what I was saying, in the heat of a game" The 2004–05 season would be his last in the AHL; coincidentally, that season was wiped out in the NHL due to a lockout.

Ottawa Senators (2005–2008)

Emery began his NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 career, in the 2005–06 season, by setting a record for wins to start a career. Emery won his first nine games, moving ahead of Bob Froese
Bob Froese
Robert Glenn Froese is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:He played in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. Froese shared the William M. Jennings Trophy with Darren Jensen as a member of the Flyers in the 1985–86 season...

, who started the 1982–83 season with eight wins while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. In March of the same season, Emery won 12 games, tying Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...

's 1974 record for the most wins in a month.

At the beginning of the 2005–06 season, Emery had won nine straight games during the regular season, as the back-up for Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...

. When Hašek injured his groin during the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

, Emery became the starting goalie. Mike Morrison
Mike Morrison
Michael Morrison is an American professional ice hockey player. Morrison is currently playing for Florida Everblades in East Coast Hockey League.-Playing career:...

 became the backup, after he was picked up off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

. Emery would be the starting goaltender for the rest of the season, leading the Senators to the first Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Senators lost to Anaheim in five games.

After the 2005–06 season the Senators decided not to bring back Hašek, and they brought in Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber
Martin Gerber is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey of the Elitserien...

 to compete with Emery for the starter position. Gerber was the starter at the beginning of the season, but due to his poor play, Emery replaced him in mid-November. On Saturday, February 10, 2007, Emery was suspended three games from the NHL for striking Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 forward Maxim Lapierre
Maxim Lapierre
Maxim Lapierre is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , he was selected 61st overall in 2003 by the Montreal Canadiens...

 with his stick on his face, after Lapierre crashed into Emery's net.

Twelve days later, after his three-game suspension had ended, Emery was involved in a mêlée between the Senators and the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

. He and Sabres goaltender Martin Biron
Martin Biron
Martin Gaston Biron is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders...

 left their creases to fight each other. After the first fight was finished, Sabres' enforcer Andrew Peters
Andrew Peters
Andrew Peters is a retired Canadian ice hockey left winger- Playing career :Peters was drafted 34th overall by the Sabres in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft...

 grabbed Emery and a second fight ensued. Both goaltenders received game misconducts, and Emery had the rare feat (for a goaltender) of receiving two five-minute majors for fighting in the same incident. In total, Emery received 22 penalty minutes (two five-minute majors for fighting, a two-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
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...

 and Emery's reputation as a fighter.

Prior to the 2007 playoffs, Emery and the Senators won 5–2 against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 on March 30, 2007, which was his 100th NHL game. Emery's strong play in the season continued on in the playoffs, as the Senators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

, New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 and Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

 each in five games en route to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since the team returned to the NHL in 1992, where the Senators lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. He became a restricted free agent after the end of the season and filed for salary arbitration, but he agreed to a three-year deal with the Senators worth $9.5 million before the hearings were held.

By the pre-season of the 2007–08 campaign, Emery was injured for a lengthy time, due to a wrist injury which limited him to only 40 minutes of the pre-season and to miss several games early in the Senators' season
2007–08 Ottawa Senators season
The 2007–08 Ottawa Senators season began on October 3, 2007, and finished on April 16, 2008. It was the Ottawa Senators' 16th season in the National Hockey League. The Senators started strongly in the regular season, but the team slumped after Christmas, and just barely qualified for the playoffs....

. Unspectacular performances by Emery, combined with improved play by Martin Gerber during the first two months of the season, reduced Emery's playing time once he returned. As a result, Gerber was designated as the starting goaltender for the team. In December, Emery was involved in more controversy, as he was sent home by head coach John Paddock
John Paddock
Alvin John Paddock is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . During his long career in the American Hockey League he won five Calder Cup championships and was inducted into the AHL's Hall...

 from a practice after claiming that he was feeling ill. It occurred one day after he slammed a stick at another practice expressing his frustration stemming for his reduced playing time this season. Emery later explained that he woke up late and missed the start of that practice. The issue briefly fueled trade rumors.

On January 28, 2008, Emery showed up late to another practice in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

, New York. Emery said that he mistakenly thought that the session was held at the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 arena, the Nassau Coliseum, but it was instead held at the Farmingdale Iceworks. There were also reports that Emery had spent the All-Star Weekend
56th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on January 27, 2008 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Atlanta Thrashers, during the 2007–08 NHL season....

 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

 but Paddock simply stated that he arrived in New York from the west. General manager Brian Murray admitted that he had tried to trade Emery, but there were no takers. Due to his recent tardiness, Emery was fined 1/187 of his salary per this year, which was $14,705.88, which was turned into a donation to CHEO
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario is a major children's hospital and university teaching hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, serving Eastern Ontario and western Quebec. It is affiliated with The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, and is funded by the provincial Government of Ontario...

. In addition, Emery was also involved in separate altercations with Brian McGrattan
Brian McGrattan
Brian McGrattan is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

 and Chris Neil
Chris Neil
Chris Neil is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Neil currently plays right wing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League .-Early years:Neil started out playing minor hockey in the town of Flesherton, Ontario...

 during practice sessions. On April 18, 2008 Murray announced to the media in an end-of-season press conference that Emery would not return to the Senators for the 2008–09 season. On June 20, 2008, Emery was waived by the Ottawa Senators, and cleared them three days later; as a result, he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

.

Mask controversy

On January 30, 2006, Emery was the target of many critics as a result of a design which was painted on his goalie mask
Goalie mask
A goaltender mask, commonly referred to as a goalie mask or a hockey mask, is a mask worn by ice hockey, inline hockey, and field hockey goaltenders to protect the head from injury. Jacques Plante was the first goaltender to create and use a practical mask in 1959. Plante's mask was a piece of...

. Emery, an avid boxing fan, wore a mask with a picture of Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...

 painted on it. The mask attracted controversy due to Tyson's reputation, notably his past rape conviction. After speaking to the Senators' management, Emery decided to not further wear the mask as they both felt it was inappropriate for hockey. He wore the Tyson mask for only one game, a 5–0 loss against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

. During the 2006 NHL playoffs, Emery wore a new mask featuring Canadian heavyweight boxer George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo
George Louis Chuvalo, CM is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer who was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979. He is often considered to have had the greatest chin in the history of boxing and to be one of its most durable fighters...

. In the 2007–2008 season Emery's mask also featured Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...

. Emery finished the season off with Floyd Mayweather on his mask.

Atlant Moscow (2008–2009)

Emery signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Atlant Moscow Oblast of the new Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....

 on July 9, 2008 after he was unsuccessful in obtaining an NHL contract. As a foreign goaltender, Emery was only allowed to play in 65% of his team's 56 regular season games due to rules that encourage the development of Russian netminders. He split duties for the season with former Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

 goaltender Vitaly Kolesnik
Vitaly Kolesnik
Vitaly Nikolaevich Kolesnik is a Kazakhstani professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Playing career:...

.

In February 2009, footage surfaced of Emery in a physical altercation with his team's trainer during a KHL game, after Emery had just been pulled after allowing three goals in the first period against Yaroslavl. Emery's agent, J.P. Barry, stated that the goalie did not like being "pestered" by the trainer to wear a sponsor's hat. After the following mid-season break, Emery failed to report back to the team due to a financial dispute. With the devaluation of the Russian ruble
Russian ruble
The ruble or rouble is the currency of the Russian Federation and the two partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Formerly, the ruble was also the currency of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union prior to their breakups. Belarus and Transnistria also use currencies with...

 during the global financial crisis, Emery's salary was consequently devalued; he had wrongly assumed that his contracted salary would be price locked at the US dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 forex equivalent. Emery eventually returned to the team and finished out the remainder of the season.

Philadelphia Flyers (2009–2010)

On June 10, 2009, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they had agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $1.5 million dollars with Ray Emery. As the jersey number 1 is retired in Philadelphia in honor of Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...

, he wore number 29. No explanation has been given for his choice. For his mask he has chosen real and fictional boxing figures local to Philadelphia. The left side of his mask shows Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...

, the right side has Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....

 and the backplate is adorned by Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...

 as the character Rocky Balboa in the pose with the American flag from the theatrical poster of Rocky IV
Rocky IV
Rocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise...

.

After a successful training camp he marked his return to the NHL with a 2–0 shutout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...

 in the first game of the season. In his second regular season game with the Flyers, against the New Jersey Devils, he stopped 24 of 26 shots, in a 5–2 victory.

Avascular necrosis

On December 8, Emery was placed on injured reserve to have surgery on a torn muscle in his abdomen. Originally expected to miss about six weeks, the prognosis changed when it was discovered that he had avascular necrosis
Avascular necrosis
Avascular necrosis is a disease where there is cellular death of bone components due to interruption of the blood supply. Without blood, the bone tissue dies and the bone collapses...

. In March 2010, Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren announced that Emery would be out for remainder of the season due to the diagnosis and that a bone graft would be done to alleviate his hip issues.

Doctors were able to catch the disease early on before it spread, unlike the case of baseball and American football player Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....

. As a result, in April, doctors announced an extremely successful surgery. Jackson spoke out about Emery, speculating that they were the only two athletes to come back after the disease. Jackson added, "I take my hat off [to him]. I want him to know I am in his corner. It's a lot of hard work. To come back and play, it takes a very, very special and driven person. He's got a different makeup to want to do all the little things he needs to compete on a professional level." Unlike Jackson, who required numerous hip replacements, Emery had the benefit of advancements in modern medicine, undergoing a very specialized and complex procedure that involved removing 13-centimetres from his right fibula, and then grafting it to the femur to re-introduce a proper blood supply to the area. Holmgren said that while the surgery went better than expected, he did not know exactly how long Emery's recovery would take.

On July 1, Emery became an unrestricted free agent as his injury deemed him unable to play until he recuperates. In August, he was given the go ahead to begin the grueling and tedious workout and rehabilitation process. In November 2010, TSN visited Emery during an on-ice workout and were surprised to see him get down into the butterfly position and play for the first time since surgery. Emery stated that he did not "care if [he could] walk in 7 years", and he "just [wanted] to play." To the surprise of his doctors and trainers, Emery has been doing better than expected. In January 2011, Emery began skating with an OHL team, taking shots and training with Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...

, working with personal trainer Matt Nichol and goalie coach Eli Wilson. According to Wilson, Emery was "as sharp and ready now as he was the summer before Ottawa's Stanley Cup final run."

In March 2011, Emery's injury and undefeated return to the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 garnered much media attention and fascination, with a special segment featured on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. Remarkably, Emery currently has 13-centimetres of bone missing from his leg. This later garnered him a nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Anaheim Ducks (2011)

On February 7, 2011, Emery signed a one year, two-way contract
Two-way contract
A two-way contract is a professional sports contract which stipulates that an athlete’s salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play in...

 with the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

, allowing him to the standard two-week conditioning AHL stint. Three other NHL teams showed interest in signing Emery. He was then assigned to the Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...

 to begin conditioning. Emery played three games for the Crunch, compiling a 2–1–0 record with a 2.62 goals-against-average and .925 save percentage. Emery eventually went on to play a total of five games for the Crunch in their 2010–11 season posting a 4–1–0, 1.98 GAA and .943 save percentage.

After playing 3 games with the Syracuse Crunch, on February 23, 2011, Emery was recalled to the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL. It was his first NHL appearance since he last played in March 2010 with the Flyers. Emery made his Anaheim Ducks debut on March 11, 2011 against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....

 when he replaced goaltender Dan Ellis
Dan Ellis
Daniel Ellis is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League...

.

Emery received his first win as an Anaheim Duck in a 2–1 win against the St. Louis Blues. Emery then went on to six straight starts to open his Anaheim career, falling one shy of matching the Ducks record for consecutive wins by a goaltender, to Guy Hebert.

In the week of March 14, Emery was honored with NHL's Second Star of the Week after going 2–0–0 with a 0.99 GAA and .968 SV%

Emery led the Ducks into the playoffs, finishing tied for fourth in the league and posting a 7–2–0 record with 2.28 goals-against average (GAA) and .926 save percentage (SV%) in 10 regular season NHL appearances.

In April, Emery's remarkable comeback was recognized when the Anaheim chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) named Ray Emery as their nominee for the 2011 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...

. The NHL nominated Emery for the Masterton making him one of three named as finalists.

Chicago Blackhawks (2011–present)

On July 27th, 2011, Emery signed a tryout contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was signed to a 1-year contract for the 2011–12 NHL season
2011–12 NHL season
The 2011–12 NHL season is the 95th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It is the fifth consecutive season that opens in Europe with NHL Premiere games. As with the previous season, three events are scheduled: two games will be held in Stockholm, Sweden; one game in Helsinki,...

 on October 3, 2011. Emery made his Blackhawks debut ten days later with a 4–3 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Personal life

In June 2010, Emery began dating Canadian singer Keshia Chante
Keshia Chanté
Keshia Chanté is a Canadian Juno Award-winning critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, model, and actress...

.

Emery has numerous tattoos, which 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
Libra (astrology)
Libra is the seventh astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Libra. In astrology, Libra is considered a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered an air sign and is one of four cardinal signs...

. He has another tattoo on his right arm which reads, "Anger is a Gift." Emery stating positively of the tattoo, "If you're passionate enough about something, you'll [get mad enough] to do something about it."

Emery remains close to good friends and Ottawa Senator teammates, Jason Spezza
Jason Spezza
Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...

, whom he was a groomsman at his wedding and Brian McGrattan
Brian McGrattan
Brian McGrattan is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

.

Outside of ice hockey, Emery's style has garnered much interest with TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...

 broadcasting a feature about his wardrobe and taste in fashion, including hundreds of pairs of shoes, dozens of watches, diamond chains and well over $4,000 suits. He owns an orange Lamborghini and a limited edition white Hummer
Hummer
Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were...

. Emery once owned a python named after a childhood friend.

Regular season

   
Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP W L T MIN GA
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

SO GAA
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....

SV%
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...

1998–99 Dunnville Terriers
Dunnville Terriers
The Dunnville Jr. Mudcats are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. They are playing in the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League.-History:...

 
NDJCHL
Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Niagara will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup.-History:...

 
22 3 19 0 1320 140 0 6.36
1999–00 Welland Cougars  WOHL  23 13 10 0 1323 62 1 2.81
1999–00
1999–2000 OHL season
The 1999–2000 OHL season was the 20th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Barrie Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Plymouth Whalers.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:...

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey...

 
OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

 
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
2002–03 AHL season
The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season...

Binghamton Senators
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...

 
AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 
50 27 17 6 2924 118 7 2.42 .924
2002–03 Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 
NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 
3 1 0 0 84 2 0 1.42 .923
2003–04
2003–04 AHL season
The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer....

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
2004–05 AHL season
The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season...

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
2007–08 Ottawa Senators NHL 31 12 13 4 1689 88 0 3.13 .890
2007–08
2007–08 AHL season
The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:...

Binghamton Senators AHL 2 1 1 0 120 6 0 3.00 .930
2008–09
2008–09 KHL season
The 2008–09 KHL season was the inaugural season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It started on September 2, 2008, and finished on February 26, 2009...

Atlant Moscow Oblast KHL
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....

 
36 22 8 0 2070 73 0 1.86 .926
2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...

Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 29 16 11 1 1684 74 3 2.64 .905
2009–10
2009–10 AHL season
The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11...

Adirondack Phantoms
Adirondack Phantoms
The Adirondack Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League , who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms are based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Phantoms are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers...

AHL 1 0 1 0 59 2 0 2.03 .857
2010–11
2010–11 AHL season
The 2010–11 AHL season is the 75th season of the American Hockey League. An all-time high of thirty teams will play 80 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on October 8, 2010 and ended on April 10, 2011...

Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...

AHL 5 4 1 0 10 0 1.98 .943
2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...

Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 10 7 2 0 527 20 0 2.28 .926
NHL totals 173 94 53 15 9,630 429 11 2.67 .908
AHL totals 162 81 61 18 9,508 396 10 2.50 .920
OHL totals 127 60 49 11 7,131 368 6 3.10 .909

Statistics as of 2010-07-28

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
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...

 
Ottawa Senators NHL 10 5 5 604 29 0 2.88 .900
2006–07
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...

 
Ottawa Senators NHL 20 13 7 1,249 47 3 2.26 .907
2008–09
Gagarin Cup
The Gagarin Cup is the trophy presented to the winner of the Kontinental Hockey League playoffs, and is named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space...

 
Atlant Moscow Oblast KHL 7 3 3 419 13 0 1.86 .941
2010–11
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...

 
Anaheim Ducks NHL 6 2 3 319 17 0 3.19 .897
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 36 20 15 2,172 93 3 2.57 .903

Statistics as of 2008-04-18

Awards

Award League/Organization Year
First All–Star Team OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

2002
Goaltender of the Year OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

2002
First All–Star Team CHL
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...

2002
Goaltender of the Year CHL
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...

2002
All–Rookie team AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

2003
Goaltender of the Month (April) AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

2005
Defensive Player of the Month (October) NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

2006
Molson Cup
Molson Cup
The Molson Cup is an award presented to a distinguished player on Canadian ice hockey teams. After each game, the "three game stars" are selected, usually by a member of the media. At the end of the season, the player with the most three-star honours is presented with the Molson Cup...

 season winner
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

2006–07

External links

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