When a team wins a championship in a sport they usually have some superstars on their team. Many championship teams need role players, unsung heroes. Guys that step up and play beyond their own career stat line. Every championship team fights through the injury bug. However you always see some young guy or even a wily veteran on these teams play out of their minds to help the team .  It’s like they feed off the way the team is playing as they know something special is going on and they want to be part of it.

In the strike shortened season of the NHL in 2013, I remember one guy that stood out the most that played out of his mind. Since the strike shortened the regular season, I remembered the NHL scheduled all the games in bunches. When you’re playing ice hockey every night it gets very exhausting as one position especially the man between the pipes the goaltender. Blackhawks already had a number one goalie in Corey Crawford. However the number two that year was Ray Emery. A wily veteran who came in had the season to remember as he went 17-1. I almost watched every game that season and he started off 10-0 behind the net before he got tagged with a loss. That was the year the Black Hawks came out the gate and won a whole bunch of games in a row to set a NHL record without losing a contest from the start of the season.

Like Billy Joel’s song only the good die young as Ray Emery was found dead last Sunday at the young age of 35 years old. Ray was a Hamilton native and was visiting friends. The group decided to take an early swim. They decided to head to the Royal Hamilton yacht club in the very wee hours of the morning perhaps to watch the sun rise. Ray plunged into the waters of the harbor and did not resurface. His body was found at some point in the afternoon. When you hear of people passing that young, it makes you think about how life is so precious.

Ray Emery was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2001. Before he came to the Black Hawks, he had a great career between the pipes. In 2007, he led the Senators to the Stanley Cup only to be ousted by the Ducks that year. He played in 287 games in 11 seasons total. He played for the Senators, Ducks, Black Hawks and then went to the Flyers. In 2007, he had a bout with goaltender Marty Biron of the Buffalo Sabres. Both players scrapped as they drop the gloves in one of the most memorable goaltender fights of all-time. Then during that melee he also took on the Sabres forward, Andrew Peter. During the whole bout, Emery was smiling and chuckling to himself having a good ole time. Emery actually was a two time Bill Masterton Memorial trophy finalist which is dedicated to hockey sportsmanship.

In 2010 Emery was diagnosed with avascular necrosis.He fought through a few hip injuries. He had that great work ethic… first one to practice and last to leave. When he did help the Black Hawks that year win the cup, he posted 1.94 goals against average which earned him the Vezina trophy which many back goalies do not even sniff this trophy. His hard work and efforts landed him a better payday with the Flyers. The Black Hawks had their hands tied with the salary cap and no way could be able to afford Emery. After the Flyers, Ray Emery headed to the AHL and played between the pipes for the Toronto Marlies. Hip injuries got worse and he eventually had to hang up the skates.

Forever Ray Emery will be remembered for his play in my world as a Black Hawk.  He goes down on that list of all those Black Hawks that were let go during their dynasty run because of the salary cap. Those great Bull runs had Steve Kerr and John Paxton coming off the bench and being sharp shooters. The White Sox playoff march in 2005.  The longest inning of all-time in the playoffs, it seemed to me. Orlando Hernandez aka “EL DUQUE” got out of a bases loaded jam against the Red Sox. Ray Emery is one of those unsung heroes of Chicago sports.  In 2013, watching both goalies night after night rotate and just become a wall for the opponents while Kane and Toews piled up goals and wins for the team was something very special. Ray Emery will always be in the hearts of all the Black Hawk fans.