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Ray Emery was typically enigmatic when he opened up about his troubled last season in Ottawa on TSN's "Off the Record" Monday, acting both apologetic and aloof when describing his part in the Senators' monumental collapse.
Emery held himself largely accountable for the way his career has radically changed over the past couple of years. A year after Emery helped the Senators advance to the Stanley Cup final, the goaltender has found himself out of the NHL and hoping to kick start his career in Russia.
Emery admitted part of the problems was his attitude at losing a lot of his playing time to Swiss goalie Martin Gerber.
"I just didn't uphold my end of the deal," Emery told TSN's Michael Landsberg.
Ray Emery spent much of last season on the bench for the Ottawa Senators. (Gerry Broome/CP)
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The Senators went into the tank last season, going from one of the top teams at the all-star break to just scraping into the playoffs by season's end. They were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Many blamed a lack of locker-room chemistry for the Senators' woes, and Emery seemed to be in the middle of it. He got in the coaching staff's doghouse for showing up late for practice and even dropped the gloves with former Sens tough guy Brian McGrattan during an on-ice workout.
"I think my actions were amplified, and I think everyone wanted to see what was happening when it wasn't me that was losing games ... it was me that had a little stupid sideshow going," Emery said.
The Senators bought out the remainder of Emery's contract after the tumultuous season. Unable to catch on with another NHL team as a free agent, the 25-year-old goalie signed a one-year deal with Atlant Mytishchi of Russia's new Continental Hockey League.
While Emery didn't blame anyone else for the Senators' misfortunes, or his own, he also seemed unconcerned about his tardiness — an issue he admitted caused some of the problems between himself and the Senators' brass.
"I seriously have a tough time showing up on time," Emery said with a laugh. "And I smacked a water bottle around one day and they said that was me pouting ... because I wasn't playing, but really I was just pissed off because I didn't do well that practice and it just got crazy."
When pressed about showing up late for practice after already receiving a warning for tardiness, Emery said: "I'm not the guy who's really nervous about being late. I kind of get there and do my thing."
Emery also said he did not have a drug problem, but Senators GM Bryan Murray did ask him if he used drugs.
