Former Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery has been identified as the man who drowned in Hamilton Harbour on Sunday morning.
Hamilton police said in a statement that the 35-year-old was swimming with friends when he failed to resurface.
The statement said officers were called to the Harbour West Marina near Leander Boat Club in downtown Hamilton at around 6 a.m. on Sunday with reports a man may have drowned.
Police said they recovered the body at 2:50 p.m., and confirmed that Emery had been identified as the man whose body was found.
Born in Hamilton, Emery played in the NHL for 11 seasons after being chosen 99th overall by the Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
He led the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup finals in the 2006-2007 season and won a Stanley Cup in 2013 with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Emery made NHL history in 2013 while playing for the Blackhawks after securing 12 consecutive wins to start the season. He finished the year with a 1.94 goals-against average and a 0.922 save percentage.
During his career, he also spent time with the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks.
READ MORE: Twitter tributes pour in from across hockey world for Ray Emery
Emery dealt with off-ice problems throughout his career, including an incident of road rage, assault of a trainer in Russia and behaviour that led to him being sent home from Ottawa’s training camp. But teammates and executives lauded his mentorship and leadership, especially in his final professional season in the American Hockey League in 2015-16.
Senators owner Eugene Melnyk released a statement condoling Emery’s passing.
“On behalf of the Ottawa Senators, I wish to express my sincere condolences on the passing of Ray Emery. Ray was instrumental in our run to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, and at his best he brought a competitive edge and combative mentality to the game. On behalf of our entire organization, I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to Ray’s family, friends and loved ones,” Melnyk said.
The Chicago Blackhawks paid tribute to Emery, sharing a photo of him hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2013.
Emery’s former agent J.P. Barry also issued a statement recalling his first meeting with the then-teenager.
“I met Ray for the first time when he came to a summer development camp for our agency when he was just a teenager. He knew we had top young players there and he wanted to use the camp to improve his game and try to make the jump to major junior. You could see then that he had the passion and work ethic to be a professional goaltender,” Barry wrote.
“Ray had many highs and lows in his personal life and his career. He never let things that would derail most of us stop his forward momentum. He had a big heart and a fun-loving personality. He was someone we all rooted for to succeed.”
Kyle Dubas, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, tweeted he is shocked by the news of Emery’s passing.
“Ray’s smile and intelligence made him a magnetic personality,” it read. “You always rooted for him to reach his vast potential as he went through the many ups and downs of his playing career.”
Hamilton police said they’re continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to Emery’s drowning. Funeral details have yet to be released.
— With a file from The Canadian Press
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