Ray Emery is a good goaltender, but that being said, he’s a thug. Plain and simple. Last night’s embarrassing display against the Washington Capitals pretty much solidified my beliefs.
After being down 7-0 to the Washington Capitals, Emery did what any punk would have done, go after the opposing goalie. Wayne Simmonds and Tom Wilson had already been engaged in a fight when, I haven’t a clue why, Emery raced down the length of the ice to fight Holtby.
It appeared as if Holtby never wanted to fight, something Emery confirmed after the game saying,
“He didn’t want to fight but I said basically protect yourself. He didn’t really have much of a choice.”
“He didn’t really have much of a choice”? Excuse me, but if a player doesn’t want to fight, you don’t fight them. Emery is just a goon in goaltender’s clothing. Analysts and fans around the league are in agree that Emery should be ashamed after last night.
Ray Emery is as tough as any player. No question. What we saw last night is not toughness.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 2, 2013
I'd like to know what reason #RayEmery had for starting the fight and then for continuing to hit a man when he's down.
— Stan Fischler (@StanFischler) November 2, 2013
Ray Emery's intent to injure > John Scott's intent to injure
— Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) November 2, 2013
This isn’t the first time that he has exploded in rage and probably wouldn’t be the last Back in his KHL playing days, Emery exploded in a fit of rage attacking his team’s trainer after being pulled in the first period. His agent claims that he was being “pestered” by the trainer to wear a hat of the team’s sponsor. While I agree with Emery’s stance on not wanting to wear the hat, you should never have to take it to that extremes.
It’s clear that he is a fiery player out on the ice and that’s okay, but you need to harness some of the passion and intensity and turn it into better play on the ice. I compare Emery to Patrick Roy, not in terms of play, but rather in terms of intensity. Roy was and still is the most intense goaltender to ever play the game, but his play backed up his tendencies to go out and fight someone. Emery needs to take a look at how Patrick Roy handles himself, just because Emery is a huge boxing fan it doesn’t mean he needs to go out there and act like Mike Tyson. Emery is a good goaltender and he has a chance to turn around the Philadelphia Flyers, but he needs to calm down his thuggish antics and start focusing on how to be an ever better goaltender.
Not only did he embarrass himself and the team, but his actions led to a line brawl that eventually injured his teammate Vincent Lacavalier. I hope getting into an unnecessary fight was worth your teammate getting injured. What was a fight supposed to do when you are down seven goals in the third period? There was no need for Emery to fight Holtby and now he’s looking at a suspension.
The team should be ashamed of itself, but given the fact that they gave Emery the third star of the game despite allowing four goals and pummeling an unwilling Braden Holtby. Hopefully Shanahan will throw the book at Emery, but given Shanahan’s inconsistency when doling out suspensions, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he gets a light punishment.
What do you think of Ray Emery? Comment below or send me a Tweet, @MarkWGraham
Mark Wallace Graham has been a writer for TheHockeyWriters.com since March 2013. Growing up in New England, Boston Bruins hockey was in my blood. Follow me on Twitter, @MarkWGraham
While I agree that he should not have skated across the ice to instigate a fight, we have no way of knowing what provoked him to do this. There was more than one player throwing punches on the ice. Why are they not “thugs”? So Holtby didn’t want to fight. I’m thinking that if someone came up to me and said “fight or defend yourself”, I’m going to do my best to get the first punch and not just curl up in a ball and let them pound the daylights out of me. Not that I agree with what Ray did, just that I’m wondering why Holtby didn’t do what most other players, people, would have done and swing back. When a game is so lopsided and on the team’s home ice, of course emotions are going to explode, but it seems like when once Ray was labled a ‘bad guy’ from when he was in Ottawa, everbody hopes he will do something that they can use to tear him down again. You called him a “punk”? Do you even know the person he is off the ice and what he has done for the community? I respect your right to express your opinion, but I disagree with the blanket negativity you put on Ray for one bad decision, which was made by more than one player in that game.
“Do you even know the person he is off the ice and what he has done for the community?”
He has a well documented history of being an asshole. Do some research before climbing up to Mt. Pious.
Wow! You must be a Philly fan! How can you possibly defend that?? The sport of hockey (that I love) just got dumped on once again thanks to a THUG!!
First of all the suggestion that ‘thug’ is a racist word is absolute nonsense and close to being a trolling of the comments.
Second of all I couldn’t agree more, Mark. Emery appears to be a thug and a complete jerk all rolled into one. To repeatedly punch an unwilling opponent, in the back of the head no less, is a joke.
Fact of the matter is it was an act of pure thuggery and Emery has done nothing in his previous play to suggest it doesn’t come naturally. Added to the long list of lateness/unprofessionalism incidents in the past, he really is one of the most dislikeable players I have ever seen.
Hahaha how did I know someone would come here saying that the term “Thug” was being used in a racist manner. Be careful hockey writers, the smallest little thing will be called racist nowadays.
Emery is a bum though, and if I were the Flyers I wouldnt let this clown play another game of goalie for them. But being the “Broad Street Bullies” is ingrained in Flyers culture, so they will probably let it slide.
Mark, come on, two cited incidents and suddenly Emery is a thug? Maybe what he did last night was thuggish, but based on the evidence you’ve provided, probably every single player who’s ever been in the NHL qualifies as a thug. Now maybe this is true, maybe they’re all thugs; in that case, an article on NHL thuggery would be more appropriate. Calling out Emery as the prototype for hockey thuggery for last night’s actions seems too convenient, too reactionary, and without the supporting evidence.
Ross,
Supporting evidence??? Did you watch the video?? Show me the videos that suggest “every single player that has ever been in the NHL” act this same way!
NHL, I hope you read Ross’s comments above and see how damaging Emery’s and other THUGS in the NHL actions can be to the game we love!! These incidents should come with VERY large suspensions, even expulsions! True fans want to see what 99% of the great goalies do, make great saves! But one bad apple can make the whole bushel look bad!! Goes for players as well!
Emery should be suspended for this but I have absolutely no confidence in Bettman and his henchmen doing to right thing to protect the game. To speak of the nastiness of what Emery was doing, punching to the back of an opponents head isn’t allowed in the UFC and I would guess that is true for most MMA organizations.
What’s the suspension for Ed, nastiness? That’s nowhere in the rule book. Nor do any UFC or MMA rules apply to hockey or vice versa.
The use of the word “THUG” comes across incredibly RACIST. Especially because this isn’t the first time there has been violence in hockey or the first time a player has made a bad judgement call during a game & with that the word “THUG” has never been used for anyone, except a black guy. Poor journalism.
Jess – you are mistaken with the use of the word. This word, by accepted norms, has never been associated with any group. It simply means the peasants of the criminal world, the lower rung of vandals/bullys.
racist? really? (massive eye roll)