Ray Emery Interview

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Q: Who is Ray Emery...who are you?

A: "I'm a 26-year-old guy from Hamilton, ON. and I'm a professional hockey player."

Q: There has to be a little more depth than that?  Are you a quiet guy?

A:  "I'm somewhat quiet.  I have a group of good friends and I like to have fun with my friends.  I think I separate the game from that side of my life.  I realize I'm fortunate to play a game for a living, but at the end of the day, it's just that. I don't take it too hard if I don't do well and I don't get too high if I succeed in the game."

Q: Is it tough to get inside your inner circle?

A: "No, not really.  I think it changes.  Playing a sport for a living you travel a lot and there's always a different setting from where you're at.  You find good people and I think its pretty easy to get inside my inner circle."

Q: Are you misunderstood at all?

A:  "Not by people that know me, I don't think.  Obviously, when you get attention from media and different things and people just catch tidbits of stories about you, they get different opinions of you, but I think that's anyone who has a media spotlight on them or is an entertainer.  In this profession, people either think too highly of you or hear some bad stories, so I'm used to that."

Q: Nickname is "Razor", do you like it?

A: "Razor works for me.  You can call me whatever you want."

Q: So if you're Razor, how much of an edge do you have?

A: "Well, I definitely think I have an edge.  I don't think that's where the nickname came from.  I'm a competitive guy and especially if you put me in that setting, there's a competition, a definite winner and a loser.  I don't think I enjoy winning that much, I think I detest losing so I'll do everything in my power to not lose."

Q: That's interesting...You fall in the category that you fear failure more than you enjoy winning?

A: "I think so, yeah"

Q: What's your expectation of yourself going into this season?

A: "I want to be a solid player.  I think that's why I was so excited to come to a team like this.  There's a lot of talent, a lot of potential and as a goalie, you know you don't have to do anything out of the norm.  You just have to play solid and give the team a chance to win and that's going to be enough on most nights for a team like this.  So, that's what I expect of myself. I expect to play solid and do what I'm capable of doing."

Q: It was my understanding that the Flyers were one of a few teams willing to make you a #1 goaltender.  Did that surprise you to know the organization thought of you that highly?

A:  "I didn't know what they thought coming in.  You can't take anything for granted, even though they gave me an opportunity to start the season and it looks like I'm going to get a chance to fight for a #1 spot.  Things change really quick.  Like I said, I was happy to have the opportunity to sign with a team like Philly and that's as far as it goes.  You got to play, you got to start winning, and they have such a good team in place that they want results and they want results right now."

Q: Do you go into this season with a chip on your shoulder?

A:  "I think there were other teams out there, other options out there, but I consider this team (even last year) to be a top-5 team, and there aren't many top-5 teams in the league that are looking for a goalie just to step in kinda out of nowhere, so that's a great opportunity.  As far as having a chip on my shoulder, I don't think I have a chip on my shoulder.  I have been humbled a lot in the past and that's not to say I'm not a confident guy.  I'm willing to go the extra mile to win and like I said I'm a competitor.  I'm humbled to a certain point, but I'm confident as well."

Q: When you see Michael Vick getting a second chance, do you think NHL teams have a much tighter leash or shorter rope when it comes to giving guys like you and Sean Avery another shot?

A:  "I don't know. In all fairness to Michael Vick, that's one of the marquee players in the league so I think that's like Jaromir Jagr having a tough time or something.  I think if you're a marquee player in the league someone is going to give you a shot.  I think it's just my personal opinion that he's fortunate that the Eagles aren't a middle of the road team.  Its a solid team he's getting a chance to play for.  Like I said, I don't think there's that much comparison between the two."

Q: You wear a tattoo "Anger is a gift." What does that mean to you?

A:  "Well, its a song lyric for one.  It just means that if you're passionate enough about something to get some emotion out of then its important to you and it can be used in a good way."

Q: Do you play with a controlled anger?

A:  "Yeah, I think so.  I want to win.  You try to control whatever emotion you're feeling when you tend to do your best and you try and replicate that."

Q: Do you care what other people think of you, inside of hockey and outside of hockey?

A:  "Inside of hockey to a point.  People that I'm close to, people that know me, definitely, I have respect for somebody else.  I feel like they know who I am as a person and I care what they think, but like you said, people who have just read a couple of articles or something, its not to say that obviously I don't care what a fan would think because that's not true.  That's a reason why I get paid for a living, but if somebody doesn't have the whole story its not going to make me lose sleep at night."

Q: How do you look at this season:  As a one year, prove-myself-again contract or do you see yourself playing in Philly a long time?

A: "That's kind of looking too far in the future.  I see this season as I'm excited about being here and there's training camp coming up and I want to be ready for training camp and that's as far as I can afford to look right now."

Q: Is there a sense of loyalty for this organization (the Flyers)?

A:  "There's a sense of gratefulness to the people who brought me here.  I'm grateful they gave me a chance because I know this is a solid team and I think they had a lot to lose by sticking their neck out there for me."

Q: But talking with Paul Holmgren, he doesn't feel like there's any risk with you?

A:  "And neither do I.  Its just not as easy a move as some other options they had.  With that being said, I'm grateful and I want to do well for the people who don't believe it was a bad move."

Q: There was a lot of solid goaltenders on the free agent market who came cheap.  How do you view that?

A: "There's always good players, good goaltenders coming up and I think people start to realize that if you look at the top ten goalies last year at the start of the year, you never would have guessed five of them wouldn't have been in the top ten.  I think it has as much to do with guys hitting their stride wanting to be there as it does a guy who's been there before, a big name.  So spots get filled up really fast and definitely you've got to appreciate what you have."

Q: Is it more more of a buyer's market where teams have the edge?

A: "That's easy to say now, but things have a way of working themselves out at the start of the year.  There's always somebody who wants a goalie and somebody who's unhappy and teams that have two good goalies.  Sometimes it works out a little different than it does on paper than it does in the summer."

Q: If you didn't have hockey in your life, what would you be doing?

A: "There's different things I'm interested in.  My friends are in the restaurant and real estate business.  I like fashion. So there's a few things. I would go to school. I wouldn't mind brushing up on one of those subjects and go from there."

Q: What's your style?

A:  "I don't know if I have one.  I copy everything. I'm Euro one day and hipster the next.  Whatever you need."

Q: How many suits do you have in your closet?

A:  "15-20. I normally have a five-six suit rotation during the year.  That's all I need."

Emery holds his goalie mask

Q:  You've had boxers on your mask before.  Wasn't there Mike Tyson?

A:  "Only for about a week and that was it.  I've had Marvin Hagler, Jack Johnson, Floyd Mayweather, George Chavallo, Muhammed Ali and that's it I think."

Q: Have you always been a big fan of boxing?

A: "Yes, somewhat.  As a kid I was into it.  It was a different sport.  I tested it out a few summers when I got a chance to take some lessons just to train a bit. Its something different.  It's a pretty intense sport; a bit off the path.  You have the four major sports and everyone's a fan of that and I was into different things so I took a liking to it."

Q: Any boxing match that stands out for you?

A: "When I was a kid, Tyson was big so I was following him and when he took a turn for the worse you remember the biting thing and I watched both the Holyfield fights, and even after that, when Lennox Lewis came in and was dominant for awhile I was watching it then."

Q: How did the mask come about?

A:  "I suggested it.  I always liked Joe Frazier.  I had heard about Frazier and following Ali's career I had thought about putting him on a mask before and then coming to Philly, him and Hopkins are from here.  I thought it was a good choice."

Q: So you knew the history?

A:  "I knew Frazier was from here, but I didn't know Hopkins was.  I've watched Hopkins before and that it was a good choice."

Q: And you have Rocky on the back.  Do you have a favorite Rocky movie or line from the movie?

A:  "That was sort of a Philly thing.  My brother loves the movie and I've seen them all, but I'm not a crazy, reciting lines Rocky kind of guy.  That's cool being from Philly."

Q: Do you like the design?

A:  "Yeah, it looks great.  I designed my pads as well so I've got these same tattoo-swirly things on my pads. He put some of that in there and its good. Its a good fit."

Q: Have you had a Philadelphia moment yet?

A: "I went to a ballgame here.  I think going to a ballgame here is a different experience.  They're packed most of the time.  The fans are a bit different. A bit more vocal and stuff (laughing). There's a lot of excitement going on outside the ballpark and stuff.  That was pretty cool.  So that might be as close to a Philly moment, and I got a cheesesteak down there too.  That was a Philly thing to do I guess."

Q: You were at the Green Day concert recently, right?

A: "Yeah, I checked that out. I like them in concert. When I was a kid, they were big, and I've been a fan of a few tunes since then, but they put on a sick show.  They drag people up on stage. I've seen them before so I knew what to expect. They put on a good show."

Q: Favorite band?

A:  "I like tons of music, but I can't think of one band.  I saw Kings of Leon when I was up there training in Calgary. That was a good show. They've got a good album out now."

Q: Who did you train up in Calgary with?

A: "I have a goalie coach up there I skate with.  There were 4-5 NHL guys up there so it was good to have a couple of other good goalies with you to feed off of."

Q: What other goalies were there?

A: "Carey Price, Chris Mason, Jason LaBarbera and some other younger guys."

Q: Do you think it will be easier playing here than it was in Ottawa?

A:  "No. I think hockey is hockey. You win they like you and you lose and they're going to try and do something to win. I don't think there will be quite as much of a spotlight.  There's a lot going on in the city.  There's a great football team, great baseball team.  They've got a basketball team, so its not do or die if the hockey team wins, and everyone's happy for a week. THere's a bit of distraction there but that's not to say the organization doesn't expect to win and its obvious with the moves they've made. Like I said, the hockey's the same but not as much of a definite spotlight."

Q: John Paddock (your old coach, now the Asst. GM here in Philadelphia) mentioned during his time in Ottawa that if he had handled you differently, he would have remained coach. How do you think he should have handled that situation and moving forward how should John Stevens approach you if any differently?

A: "I'm a player amongst 22 on a team. I think I needed to be treated like anyone else. I think the reason John said that is John was coach every year in pro hockey up until last year when I was in Russia and we had a good relationship.  So I think he felt he knew different ways to motivate me or tried to some different motivational tools and because we knew each other well.  I felt real bad when things came down in Ottawa, and like I said he was a coach and a father figure.  He had coached me when I was 19 years old and we went through a lot together. When he said that and felt that and when the team had a collapse midway through the year, it was a tough time for everybody.  Its definitely something you look back on and its strange we end up in the same place again.  If I get the chance to play for him again, he won't have to motivate me at all."

Q: Before signing here, you talked with John Stevens, Paul Holmgren and Ed Snider. Any of those three guys say something that resonated with you?

A:  "I think all three just had that type of attitude that they wanted to win this year. Anything beyond that was the future but they want to win right now.  That works for me.  I was in a situation where I left with a bad taste in my mouth and I want to come back and I don't want to make the playoffs.  I don't want to win in the first round.  I want to win everything as well as I can and to play on the same team where everyone has that same goal, it just fits. So, all three of those guys had that same tone, that same vision and obviously I saw in the team last year that they're close to that. It was a perfect fit."

Q: Do you bring some swagger with you to this team and does an NHL team need that?

A: "Yeah, I definitely think that. That's in any sport. That's not to say you're overconfident but just having that bit of adrenaline that confidence brings you.  A lot of times its the difference between winning and losing and the other team can sense that when the other team is a bit timid you can jump on them real quick.  If you come in there with your head held high and looking at guys like 'We're going to win', and we know it and you're willing to do the work, most times you are going to win."

Q: Do you think you're a better goaltender than Marty Biron?

A:  "I can't tell you that, but on any given night if we play them this year, we're going to win."
     

Tags: Ray Emery, John Boruk