Former Flyer Emery dies in drowning accident
While official confirmation was still pending Sunday afternoon, Flyers president Paul Holmgren knew of the awful reports about a man he considered “a great Flyer.”
Ray Emery, a three-time tenured Flyers goalie who had helped the Chicago Blackhawks win a Stanley Cup in 2013, had reportedly died via drowning in Hamilton (Ont.) Harbour. He was just 35.
Emery, nicknamed “Razor,” had been swimming with friends at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and at one point reportedly dove in the water and did not resurface. Hamilton police pulled a man’s body out Sunday afternoon after a nearly nine-hour search of the area at Lake Ontario, eventually confirmed to be Emery.
“Really sad,” said Holmgren, who had taken a chance in 2009 when he signed the controversial Emery as a free agent. “I remember two things about Ray: How his teammates loved him and how much he loved them. He was one of the great Flyers.”
Added captain Claude Giroux in a tweet: “Ray was a great teammate and an even better friend. Rest in peace Razor. I’ll miss you man.”
For the longest time, Emery’s story was one of soaring victories and dramatic lows after being brought through the system in Ottawa. He was a talented young goalie who won his first nine decisions for the Senators, breaking a record of eight set by the Flyers’ Bob Froese in 1982. Emery wound up as the Senators’ starter, and they eventually let Hall of Fame-level veteran Dominik Hasek go in favor of giving Emery the top job.
Yet he often encountered trouble on and off the ice. He fought with opponents and teammates alike, encountered trouble with police via driving infractions, and only last year was arrested in a reported domestic disput with this former fiance.
There were many reports of Emery having substance absue issues, and acknowledged fighting such problems and anger management issues.
It eventually led to Emery being released by the Senators and declared a free agent in 2008. He played a year in Russia in the thenfledgling KHL, and then Holmgren paid a visit to him in Ottawa.
“There was stuff there,” Holmgren said of Emery, “and we addressed it with Ray. He admitted he was working through those issues. He wanted a second chance.”
Emery was cruising along during the 200910 season with the Flyers when on a Western road trip he reported a problem with his hip. It was first thought to requre abdominal surgery, then turned into a case of avascular necrosis that almost cost him his career.
Emery didn’t play the rest of the season, then after bone graft surgery (taking nearly 13 centimeters of bone) wound up signing with the Anaheim Ducks in Feb. 2011.
“He battled his ass off to get back,” Holmgren said.
Emery worked himself back into peak form, putting in a nice turn as a backup with the Ducks, then two seasons with Chicago where in his first year there he won 17 of 18 decisions, split the William Jennings Trophy with Corey Crawford and skated around with the Cup in 2013.
Emery then re-signed with the Flyers in late 2013, staying two seasons primarily as Steve Mason’s backup. He would finish up with a year in the AHL and overseas, and also put in a third Flyers stint as a practice-only goalie with a tryout contract in the spring of 2016 before he called it a day.
“At a loss for words,” Flyers forward Scott Laughton wrote on Twitter. “An incredible teammate and stall mate. Rip razor”
Emery won 145 NHL games, with a 2.70 goalsagainst average and .906 save percentage.
“I always liked him as a goalie,” Holmgren said. “He wanted to be around his team and his teammates wanted to be around him. He was a good goalie.”