Ray receives Spezza delivery from Senator

Wed, December 24, 2003
By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun

BUFFALO -- The package came as a complete surprise to former Senators tough guy Rob Ray. While at home in the summer, Ray received a delivery of a large autographed framed photo from former Bruins defenceman Bobby Orr hugging the Stanley Cup with an inset of his famous championship-winning goal vs. St. Louis.

The photo arrived at the urging of Senators centre Jason Spezza, who is a client of Orr's Boston-based management group, and is a keepsake Ray will treasure the rest of his life.

"I knew that he was represented by Orr and we obviously spent a lot of time together last year during the playoffs because both of us weren't playing," said Ray yesterday. "It meant a lot to me to get something like that.

"Bobby Orr was my favourite player when I was growing up. He was just such an incredible player. I was always asking (Spezza) if he ever came to visit and if there was a chance I could meet him. I had met him a long time ago, but that was just briefly when I was in Vancouver for a game."

Ray and Spezza became close friends during the club's playoff drive last year. Ray didn't get any playing time in the post-season, but Spezza was inserted into the lineup in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final against the New Jersey Devils.

"He's a great kid. He really is," said Ray. "He's not like most 20-year-olds. He's a guy who really knows what he wants and he wants to get there. He understands what it takes and he's not afraid to work hard."

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