Rob Ray

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Lore & Background

Rob Ray's reputation as a prolific fighter was built early in his career. While playing two full seasons with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, he notched over 700 penalty minutes in 125 games. In a game against the Quebec Nordiques 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. During fights, Ray's jersey and shoulder pads would quickly shed due to his opponent's clutching and grabbing, which helped him control nearly every fight he was in. This practice led to the NHL creating a new rule, nicknamed the 'Rob Ray Rule,' requiring a player whose sweater is not properly tied-down and who loses it completely during a fight to receive a game misconduct. After the rule's implementation, Ray's fighting prowess continued, highlighted by rivalries with enforcers such as Tie Domi, Mick Vukota, Paul Laus, Jeff Odgers, and Dennis Vial.

In Their Own Story

After 14 seasons as the Buffalo Sabres' main enforcer, Ray was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future considerations in 2003. He 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. He scored on his first shot in his first shift in the NHL, and also on his last shot in his last shift. After retiring, Ray worked for the Buffalo Sabres as an intermission, sideline, and post game reporter. On 11 June 2012, the Buffalo Sabres announced that Ray would replace Harry Neale as the Sabres' colour commentator, working alongside Rick Jeanneret and later Dan Dunleavy. He also co-hosts a weekly television show entitled The Enforcers for Time Warner Cable SportsNet, is on the permanent roster of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team and serves as the organization's president, and has written a book titled 'Rayzor's Edge'. As of 2022, Ray is an assistant coach for the Buffalo Jr Sabres 09 team.

Reader's Guide

Rob Ray's career statistics show he played 14 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Ottawa Senators. He holds the Sabres record for most penalty minutes in one player's tenure with the club with 3,189 penalty minutes. His NHL career total of 3,207 penalty minutes ranks him 6th overall in NHL history. Ray was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1999 for his leadership and humanitarian contributions in the Buffalo and Western New York area. He is a regular with the Buffalo Sabres Alumni team and resides in Buffalo, New York, active with numerous community charities. Ray is married to Juliean Ray and is a father of two, Robert Jr. and Jordan Ray.

Did You Know?

• Rob Ray scored his first NHL goal on his first shift on the ice, and also scored a goal on his last shift of his last game.
• He holds the Buffalo Sabres record for most penalty minutes in one player's tenure with the club, with 3,189 penalty minutes.
• The NHL created a rule nicknamed the 'Rob Ray Rule' after his fighting style, requiring a player whose jersey comes completely off during a fight to receive a game misconduct.
• Ray was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1999 for leadership and humanitarianism.
• He co-hosts a weekly television show called The Enforcers with former Buffalo Bills star Ruben Brown.