Senators Articles: Return to minors an education for Ray
February 26, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Press Connects.com

Return to minors an education for Ray

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- After playing professional hockey for the past 15 years, Rob Ray didn't think he could learn anything new from a week in the minors.

He was wrong.

"It's been awesome," Ray said of his five-game conditioning stint with the Binghamton Senators that wrapped up here Wednesday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. "You come down here, and you get a chance to play in a lot of different situations. Just because you play 15 years doesn't mean you know what to do on the power play."

Ray, 35, hasn't seen much power-play time in his 894 career NHL games since 1990. He's always resided in the muscle end of the family with the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, totaling the sixth-most penalty minutes in NHL history (3,193) and earning a reputation as one of hockey's all-time toughest customers.

He agreed to come out of retirement 13 days ago, signing with the Senators for $400,000 and one last shot at the Stanley Cup he's never won, which is where eight days in Binghamton came in.

In the interest of working off the rust that developed from doing television commentary on Sabres games, Ray joined the injury- and call-up-depleted B-Sens and got the workout of his life. Thrust into power-play and penalty-killing roles for five games in eight nights in three cities, Ray averaged nearly 25 minutes a game and even scored two power-play goals.

"It's been a total learning experience," Ray said. "When you're playing three games in three nights with two long bus rides in between, you can't judge a player. I'm sure I did it when I was in the minors, but I can't remember that far back."

It'll be hard to forget the impression the wise-cracking Ray has left here. He wore the assistant captain's "A" for four games and stayed on the ice long after Wednesday's morning skate ended to work with enforcer Mike Brown and tryouts Arpad Mihaly and Nathan Gillies.

He left his temporary teammates immediately after Wednesday night's game, and there's talk he could bring his considerable brand of toughness to Ottawa's lineup tonight when the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Corel Centre.

If so, Ray will be ready.

"That's the type of team they're bringing me in to play against," Ray said. "Obviously it's a different speed (in the NHL), but if you can't get ready by playing 25 minutes in every game, you'll never be ready.