Ray Emery Dead at 35
Former Senators’ Goalie Drowns in Hamilton, ON
Former Ottawa Senators’ goaltender Ray Emery has died.
The 35 year-old Cayuga, Ontario native was confirmed by authorities to be the man who tragically drowned while swimming in Hamilton, Ontario on Sunday morning.
CP24 first reported that a man visiting the Leander Boating Club decided to go for an early-morning swim with a group of friends, and that he did not re-emerge upon entry into the water. Toronto-based photographer Andrew Collins was the first to report that Emery was the victim, via Twitter.
Friends and first responders have identified victim in early morning drowning at the Hamilton Harbour as former @NHL goalie Ray Emery. Ray played the @ottawasenators, @NHLBlackhawks, @AnaheimDucks and the @NHLFlyers. He was swimming with several friends & never surfaced #HamOnt pic.twitter.com/QpD2tNwDzs
— Andrew Collins (@ACollinsPhoto) July 15, 2018
Hamilton Police Service Inspector Marty Schulenberg said “They went out for a swim and unfortunately he did not emerge after diving in...We responded along with Hamilton Fire and EMS. Unfortunately, our efforts on the water and in the area just around the piers were met with negative results...”
Ray Emery played a 12-year NHL career with the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks, winning the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2013.
Selected 99th overall by the Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, “Razor” became the starting goaltender for the Binghamton Senators in 2002-2003. In a three-year American Hockey League career, Emery was named to the AHL All-Rookie team, AHL All-Star team, and was awarded Binghamton Team MVP. He was inducted into the Binghamton Hockey Hall of Fame on April 7th, 2017.
“Sugar Ray” is the only goaltender to backstop the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup Final, a feat he accomplished in 2007 while winning the Molson Cup for the most First Star performances in Ottawa’s regular season.
Emery was known for his fiery temper and toughness, being involved in a fair amount of fights and on-ice incidents throughout his career, including the infamous line-brawl between Ottawa and Buffalo on February 22nd 2007, in which he took on Sabres’ goaltender Marty Biron, and enforcer Andrew Peters in two separate altercations.
Injuries and off-ice issues saw Emery waived by Ottawa at the end of the 2007-2008 season, but his legacy will live on as not only one of the greatest goaltenders in Ottawa Senators’ history, but also as one of the toughest in NHL history.
On behalf of everyone here at Silver Seven Sens, we would like to extend our most heartfelt condolences to Ray Emery’s loved ones.
RIP Razor, we’ll miss you dearly. Thank you for everything.