▁ 1 . 9 4 ▁goals ▁against ▁average ▁and ▁a ▁ 0 . 9 2 2 ▁save ▁percentage . ▁His ▁sevent een ▁wins ▁included ▁twelve ▁straight ▁to ▁start ▁the ▁year , ▁the ▁best ▁such ▁stre ak ▁in ▁N HL ▁history . ▁Em ery ▁was ▁a ▁two - time ▁Bill ▁Master ton ▁Memorial ▁Tro phy ▁final ist ▁for ▁his ▁dedic ation ▁and ▁per se ver ance . ▁His ▁team m ates ▁and ▁fans ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁" R az or " ▁or ▁" S ug ar ▁Ray " ▁for ▁his ▁ag gress ive ▁playing ▁style . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Em ery ▁was ▁born ▁Raymond ▁Robert ▁Nich ols ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁in ▁Hamilton , ▁Ontario . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Sh ar l ene ▁Nich ols , ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁overhead ▁c rane ▁operator ▁at ▁a ▁D of as co ▁steel ▁mill ▁when ▁she ▁became ▁pre gn ant ▁at ▁ 2 0 . ▁His ▁bi ological ▁father ▁had ▁no ▁interest ▁in ▁stay ing ▁in ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁her ▁or ▁raising ▁a ▁child , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁had ▁no ▁contact . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁two ▁years ▁old , ▁his ▁mother ▁met ▁another ▁c rane ▁operator , ▁Paul ▁Em ery , ▁at ▁a ▁children ' s ▁sk ating ▁event . ▁The ▁two ▁married ▁when ▁Ray ▁was ▁four - and - a - half ▁years ▁old ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁shortly ▁after ▁adopted ▁by ▁Paul ▁and ▁took ▁his ▁surname . ▁Em ery ▁had ▁two ▁younger ▁brothers , ▁Andrew