Ray Emery

In March of the same season, Emery won twelve games, tying Bernie Parent's 1974 record for the most wins in a month.

Raymond Robert Emery (né Nichols; September 28, 1982 – July 15, 2018) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eleven seasons, between 2003 and 2015.

Emery was born Raymond Robert Nichols on September 28, 1982, in Hamilton, Ontario.

His mother, Sharlene worked as an overhead crane operator at a Dofasco steel mill when she became pregnant at 20.

His biological father had no interest in raising a child, and abandoned them.

He set a record for wins to start an NHL goaltending career, winning his first nine games, moving ahead of Bob Froese who had won his first eight games in the 1982–83 season.

In 1984, Sharlene met Paul Emery whom she married in 1986.

He was adopted by Paul and took his surname shortly afterward.

Emery had two younger brothers, Andrew and Nicholas.

The family lived in a century-old farmhouse near the town of Cayuga.

Emery excelled in school, and was offered a scholarship.

He played many sports other than ice hockey, including golf, baseball, and soccer.

In hockey, he originally played as a defenceman, but switched to goaltender at nine years old due to a shortage of goaltenders in his league.

Emery committed to hockey on the advice of his mother, after a potential scholarship during his pursuit for higher education pushed him to take advantage of his athletic ability.

At 16 years old, Emery landed with the Ontario Junior Hockey League Junior C Dunnville Terriers after unsuccessfully trying out for eight different junior teams.

Emery was named the league's Rookie of the Year.

The Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds drafted Emery in the fifth 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 2000–01, he played with the Greyhounds.

Emery was chosen 99th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

During his last season in junior hockey, 2001–02, Emery gained notoriety for his fighting ability.

He was named the OHL's Goaltender of the Year, setting a record of 33 wins and a GAA of 2.73.

Emery was selected in the fourth round, 99th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

In 2002–03, Emery joined the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL) and immediately assumed the position of starting goaltender for his first professional season with the team.

He was named to the AHL All-Star team, made the league's all-rookie team and became Binghamton's MVP.

Emery was suspended twice for on-ice incidents in the same season, once for bumping a referee which resulted in a three-game suspension; the second time for an altercation with Denis Hamel of the Rochester Americans who admitted uttering a racial slur.

Emery retaliated and was suspended for three games.

Emery and Hamel later became teammates in Binghamton, and Hamel apologized "for not thinking about what was saying, in the heat of a game".

Emery began his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators in 2005–06.

At the beginning of the 2005–06 season, Emery had won nine straight games during the regular season as the back-up to Dominik Hašek.

After the 2005–06 season, the Senators opted not to bring back Hašek, instead acquiring Martin Gerber 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.

During the 2006–07 season, he gained the starting job and backstopped his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, the first appearance in the finals for the modern Senators' franchise.

However in the subsequent season, he lost his place as the team's starting goaltender due to an injury.

When Hašek injured his groin during the 2006 Winter Olympics, Emery became Ottawa's de facto starter, with Mike Morrison, claimed off of waivers from the Edmonton Oilers, as Emery's backup.

Emery was the starting goaltender for the rest of the season, leading the Senators to the second round of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs.

He won a Stanley Cup championship with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013.

In 2013, Emery won the William M. Jennings Trophy along with teammate Corey Crawford, awarded to the goaltender or goaltenders who give up the fewest goals in the season.

Emery was a two-time Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy finalist for his dedication and perseverance.

His teammates and fans often referred to him as "Razor" or "Sugar Ray" for his aggressive playing style.