Robert John Ray (born June 8, 1968) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
sports broadcaster and former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
player for the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
and
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
. He was awarded the
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is a sports award given annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. The ...
by the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
in 1999 for leadership and humanitarianism. He was known for his role as an
enforcer
Enforcer or enforcers may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Comics
* Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character
* Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team
* New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team
Film and television
* ''The Enforcer ...
and currently holds the Sabres record for most penalty minutes in one player's tenure with the club with 3,189
penalty minutes.
Early career
Ray grew up in the small town of
Stirling, Ontario playing competitive hockey for the Stirling Blues before moving up to the Tier II Jr.A. level with the OHA's Whitby Law Men in 1984-85. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 1985 OHL Priority Selection by the Cornwall Royals.
Ray played his junior hockey with the
Cornwall Royals
The Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. This team shared its name with o ...
of the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...
(OHL). The
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
drafted Ray in the 5th round, 97th overall in the
1988 NHL Entry Draft. He played two full seasons with the
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans (colloquially known as the Amerks) are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; the team is an owned and operated affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(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, in which he scored his first goal on his first shift on the ice. He also scored a goal on his last shift of his last game in the NHL. Ray became a regular on the team beginning in the
1990–91 NHL season
The 1990–91 NHL season was the 74th season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the best of seven series 4–2 against the Minnesota North Stars. This was the last NHL season to end in Ma ...
, never finishing with fewer than 158 penalty minutes in any NHL season from that point on except his last. In a game against the
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques (french: Nordiques de Québec, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Quebec City Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the W ...
in 1992, Ray viciously beat a Nordiques fan who had snuck onto the ice and approached the Sabres bench. 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
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is a sports award given annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. The ...
for his leadership and
humanitarian contributions in the Buffalo and Western New York area. To date he is a regular with the Buffalo Sabres Alumni team and resides in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
, active with numerous community charities.
The Rob Ray Rule
During fights, Ray's jersey and shoulder pads would quickly be shed due to his opponent's clutching and grabbing. This would result in his opponents no longer able to clutch and grab. This assisted 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 that specifically states that "a player who engages in fisticuffs and whose sweater is not properly 'tied-down' (jersey properly fastened to pants), and who loses his sweater (completely off his torso) in that altercation, shall receive a game misconduct."
Pundits saw this as a direct result of Rob Ray's style of fighting, and nicknamed the rule the ''Rob Ray Rule''. After the implementation of the "Rob Ray Rule", Ray's fighting prowess continued unabated, highlighted by lengthy and, at times, bitter rivalries with fellow NHL enforcers such as
Tie Domi
Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Known as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets over a 16-year NHL career. He is the Maple Leafs' all ti ...
,
Mick Vukota,
Paul Laus,
Jeff Odgers
John Jeffrey Odgers (born May 31, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played over 800 games in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and the Atlanta Thrashers. Mainly an en ...
and
Dennis Vial. He appeared in a
This is Sportscenter
This is ''SportsCenter'' is a series of comical television commercials run by ESPN to promote their ''SportsCenter'' sports news show that debuted in 1995, based on the show's opening tagline. The ads are presented in a deadpan mockumentary styl ...
commercial where he acts as security at the station and beats up a courier after he says he can't show his ID.
Post-retirement career
After 14 seasons as the Buffalo Sabres' main enforcer, Ray was traded to the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
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 scored on his first shot in his first shift in the NHL, and also on his last shot in his last shift.
Ray worked for the Buffalo Sabres as an intermission, sideline, and post game reporter for games on the
Sabres Hockey Network
The Sabres Hockey Network is the official radio network and production company of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). The network is currently operated jointly by the Sabres ( Pegula Sports and Entertainment) and Audacy, Inc. ...
.
On 11 June 2012, the Buffalo Sabres announced that Ray would replace
Harry Neale
Harold Watson Neale (born March 9, 1937) is a Canadian retired NCAA, NHL and WHA coach and general manager, and ice hockey broadcaster.
Coaching career
Following his playing career, Neale got his head coaching start at Hill Park Secondary Scho ...
as the Sabres' color commentator, where he worked alongside
Rick Jeanneret
John Richard Jeanneret (born July 23, 1942)Pergament, Alan (October 5, 2014)‘I feel like an American,’ Jeanneret says, as he gets cancer treatment here ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved October 5, 2014. “Jeanneret received his first radiatio ...
and now with
Dan Dunleavy Dan Dunleavy (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian sportscaster for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was formerly a sportscaster with Sportsnet 590 The Fan, and Rogers Sportsnet.
Career Hockey
Dunleavy is currently the play ...
. Ray also co-hosts, along with former
Buffalo Bills star
Ruben Brown, a weekly television show entitled ''The Enforcers'' for
Time Warner Cable SportsNet
Spectrum Sports (abbreviated as SPECTSN), also known under the corporate names Spectrum Networks, or Charter Sports Regional Networks, is the collective name for a group of regional sports networks in the United States that are primarily owned a ...
. He is also on the permanent roster of the
Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team
The Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team is an independent barnstorm (sports), barnstorming hockey (and occasionally basketball) team located in Buffalo, New York. Its roster consists entirely of retired National Hockey League players, mostly former ...
and serves as the organization's president. He has also written a book titled "Rayzor's Edge". As of 2022 Ray is an assistant coach for the Buffalo Jr Sabres 09 team.
Alongside his work, he is married to Juliean Ray and is a father of two, Robert Jr. and Jordan Ray.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
See also
*
List of NHL players with 2000 career penalty minutes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Rob
1968 births
Living people
Binghamton Senators players
Buffalo Sabres announcers
Buffalo Sabres draft picks
Buffalo Sabres players
Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Cornwall Royals (OHL) players
Ice hockey people from Ontario
King Clancy Memorial Trophy winners
Ottawa Senators players
People from Hastings County
Rochester Americans players
National Hockey League broadcasters