Rob Ray
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| Position | Right Wing |
| Nickname(s) | Rayzor |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 222 lb (101 kg/15 st 12 lb) |
| Pro clubs | Buffalo Sabres Ottawa Senators |
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Born | June 8, 1968 , Stirling, ON, CAN |
| Pro career | 1985 – 2004 |
Rob Ray, (born June 8, 1968) is a former ice hockey player. He was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the National Hockey League in 1999 for leadership and humanitarianism.
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[edit] Personal and early career
Ray was born on June 8, 1968 in Stirling, Ontario. He played his junior hockey with the Cornwall Royals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The Buffalo Sabres drafted Ray in the 5th round, 97th overall in the 1988 amateur entry draft. He played two full seasons with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL), during which he earned a reputation as a prolific fighter, notching over 700 penalty minutes in 125 games. Ray made his NHL debut with the Sabres during the 1989–90 season. Ray became a regular on the team beginning in the 1990–91 NHL season. Considered imposing at 6'0", Ray was one of the toughest NHL players through the 1990s. In 1999, the NHL awarded Ray the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his leadership and humanitarian contributions in the Buffalo and Western New York area.
[edit] Rob Ray Rule
Ray was well known for the several tricks he employed in getting an edge over his fellow combatants. Ray would often remove his helmet, jersey, and pads along with his gloves at the start of a fight, giving his sparring opponent nothing to grab on Ray's body. With nothing to hold on to, his opponents would slide backwards on their skates when they threw punches, knocking them off balance and allowing Ray to grab their jerseys and move in with a distinct advantage. This allowed Ray to control nearly every fight he was in. Fellow Sabre Brad May often employed this technique as well. As a result of this practice, the NHL created a new rule enforcing additional penalties for players who removed jerseys or pads during a fight. Pundits saw this as a direct result of Rob Ray's style of fighting, and nicknamed the rule the Rob Ray Rule. It was after the implementation of the "Rob Ray" rule that Ray's fistic prowess blossomed, highlighted by a lengthy (and fairly even) rivalry with Tie Domi, Mick ("Takedown") Vukota, Stu Grimson, and Dennis Vial.
[edit] End of career
After 14 seasons as the Buffalo Sabres' main enforcer, Ray was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future considerations in 2003. Ray appeared in only 11 games over two seasons with the Senators, playing another 5 with their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. Ray ended his NHL career with 3,207 career penalty minutes, ranking him 6th overall in NHL history. Ray now works for the Buffalo Sabres as an intermission, sideline, and post game reporter for games on MSG Network and co-hosts, along with Matthew Barnaby, a weekly television show entitled The Enforcers for Time Warner Sports 26. He is also on the permanent roster of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team.
[edit] Career statistics
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–86 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 53 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 253 |
| 1986–87 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 46 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 158 |
| 1987–88 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 61 | 11 | 41 | 52 | 179 |
| 1988–89 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 74 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 446 |
| 1989–90 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 43 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 335 |
| 1989–90 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 27 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 99 |
| 1990–91 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| 1990–91 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 66 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 350 |
| 1991–92 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 63 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 354 |
| 1992–93 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 68 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 211 |
| 1993–94 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 82 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 274 |
| 1994–95 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 47 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 173 |
| 1995–96 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 71 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 287 |
| 1996–97 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 82 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 286 |
| 1997–98 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 63 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 234 |
| 1998–99 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 76 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 261 |
| 1999–00 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 69 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 158 |
| 2000–01 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 63 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 210 |
| 2001–02 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 71 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 200 |
| 2002–03 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92 |
| 2002–03 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2003–04 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2003–04 | Binghamton Senators | AHL | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| NHL Totals | 900 | 41 | 50 | 91 | 3207 |
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Kelly Chase |
Winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy 1999 |
Succeeded by Curtis Joseph |
