Ray Whitney (ice hockey)

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size = 230px
position = Left wing
shoots = Right
height_ft = 5
height_in = 10
weight_lb = 180
team = Carolina Hurricanes
league = NHL
nickname = The Wizard, Sugar Ray, Lord Farquaad [cite news| url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/12713608/ | title=‘The Wizard’ enjoying magical run with ’Canes | publisher=Associated Press | date=2006-05-16 | accessdate=2008-06-18]
former_teams = San Jose Sharks
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
nationality = Canada
birth_date = birth date and age|1972|05|08
birth_place = Fort Saskatchewan, AB
career_start = 1991
draft = 23rd overall
draft_year = 1991
draft_team = San Jose Sharks

Ray Whitney (born May 8, 1972, in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta) is a professional ice hockey player and alternate captain currently with the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He has a son named Shayne.

Playing career

Before Ray Whitney played his first game on the ice, he was one of the Oilers' stick boys during Wayne Gretzky's late career in Edmonton; the other was Ryan Smyth. Ray was drafted in the second round (32nd overall) in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. He has played for several different NHL teams during his 14 year career, including the San Jose Sharks (1991–92 to 1996–97), Edmonton Oilers (1997–98), Florida Panthers (1997–98 to 2000–01), Columbus Blue Jackets (2000–01 to 2002–03), and Detroit Red Wings (2003–04). On August 6, 2005, Whitney signed a 2 year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL's Eastern Conference paying him $1.5 million per year. Ray is one of only 29 players in NHL history to record an overtime game-winner in a seventh game in the playoffs. He did that in 1995 in a seventh game against the Calgary Flames while with San Jose. On April 13, 2007, Ray agreed to re-sign with the Carolina Hurricanes for 3 years instead of becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2007. His new contract pays him $3.5 million per year.

As well as playing in the NHL, Ray has also played in the Western Hockey League (WHL), International Hockey League (IHL), and American Hockey League (AHL).

In 2006, Ray helped Carolina win their first Stanley Cup with fellow Fort Saskatchewan native Mike Commodore. Whitney stated that if the Hurricanes were not in the playoffs, he would have been rooting for the Oilers, as they were his childhood team.

Ray is known for his comedic tendencies for doing such things as making sure he's visible in pre-game on-screen interviews behind the interviewee, leading to the Hurricanes' fans' favorite game of "Where's Whitney"? Ray's commonly used nickname is "Wizard".

Ray is the only remaining member of the San Jose Sharks' inaugural team (1991-92) still active in the NHL. [http://sharks.nhl.com/team/app?formids=PropertySelection&component=%24HistoricalPlayerSearchComponent.%24SimpleForm&page=TeamHistoricalPlayers&service=direct&submitmode=&submitname=&PropertySelection=1]

Career statistics

References

External links

*hockeydb|5710|Ray Whitney