To say that Ray Emery has taken the road less traveled to get to where he is today would be a gross understatement. The road has been long and winding, but it has landed the now 27 year old in a very favorable situation.
An average goalie at best while with the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, Ray Emery never earned the national attention of Sidney Crosby or John Tavares. He didn’t win any championships as a junior and he certainly didn’t garner enough attention from NHL clubs to warrant a high draft pick.
The Ottawa Senator took a chance on young Ray Emery, selecting him 99th overall in the 2001 draft. Prior to being drafted, Emery had not posted a winning season in the Sault, but was involved in 4 on-ice fights.
After being drafted in 2001, Emery would spend the next 4 years trying to earn a spot with the big club. After the lockout year of ‘04-’05, he would do just that. To start the ’05-’06 season, Emery found himself playing backup to Domenik Hasek and set an NHL record for most wins to start a career with 9. Emery’s strong play would continue through the year and an injury to Hasek at the 2006 Winter Olympics would see Emery thrust into the starter’s role to finish out the season. Emery finished the year with a 23-11-4 record and solidified his role with the club for the nest year.
Ottawa Senators 2007 Stanley Cup Run
The 2006-2007 was without a doubt, Emery’s best as a professional. 33 wins, 5 shutouts, a .918 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA. He would knock Martin Gerber from the number one position; lead the Senators to a 105 point regular season and all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to be beat by the Anaheim Ducks in 5 games.
After that, well… things didn’t go too well for Emery.
Ray Emery’s Off-Ice Issues
The following season, Emery would post his worst professional record, tallying only 12 wins in 31 games. There were numerous high profile, off-ice incidents, including being sent home by head coach John Paddock from a practice after claiming that he was feeling ill, showing up late to team practices, incidents of road rage and being caught speeding traveling 50 km/h over the speed limit. Tensions were high in the nation’s capital that year and Emery had not only fallen out of favour amount fans, but with team management as well. His was subsequently released by the Senators.
After a brief, one year, less than memorable stop in the KHL, bad boy Emery found himself back in the North American spotlight after a fight with a team trainer that became an internet video sensation after apparently not wanting to wear a sponsor’s hat.
Emery A Philadelphia Flyer
In this past off-season, the Philadelphia Flyers shocked the hockey world by welcoming Ray Emery back. An offer of $1.5 Million for one year and the assurance that he would be joining a very solid Flyers lineup was a no-brainer for Emery.
Through 3 games so far this season, Emery, and the Flyers are 3-0 and showing the potential that they could be Stanley Cup bound. A line-up that includes Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger, Scott Hartnell and Daniel Biere is one that surely will be tough to contend with – as long as Emery can keep his nose clean and his head focused.
Most players who have such a rapid rise and fall from grace don’t traditionally get the second chance Emery has been awarded, especially with the type of team the Flyers have this year, a second chance that hopefully will not be squandered.
Emery would be wise to keep his past shenanigans just there - in the past. Emery is a skilled goalie with an edge and an attitude – it would seem he was born to be a Flyer.
Flyers’ fans sure do hope so.
