Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: sean+avery
Avery Just Blending In
by Paul on 10/23/09 at 09:51 AM ET
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from Marie Joelle Parent at the Toronto Sun,
After a two-week stint in behavioural therapy, Avery started meditation. He also got a new tattoo. “You used to be alright, what happened,” lyrics from a Radiohead song, now adorn his arm. But seriously, what happened?
“I think that any time you say something that’s hurtful towards somebody you’re always going to regret that,” Avery said. “If I’ve said something that’s done that, then I don’t feel good about it. Regrets are tough words because you know you did it. You kind of have to deal with what you’ve done.”
Following his suspension, the Dallas Stars—Avery’s team at the time—didn’t want anything to do with him. He was eventually sought out by the Rangers, for whom he played before going to Dallas.
Avery, for his part, seems to have found his niche in the Big Apple, a city as flamboyant as his personality.
“I just blend in with the city and its people,” he said.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Morning Line
by Paul on 09/24/09 at 07:01 AM ET
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Anybody find it a coincidence that Sean Avery is unable to “suit up” for practices and preseason games due to a knee injury at the same time Fashion Week ‘09 is exploding onto runways in New York?
-via Daryl Reaugh of Razor With An Edge.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Avery Talks Rangers
by Paul on 08/04/09 at 03:19 PM ET
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from Steve Zipay of Blue Notes at Newsday,
Before lacing up his skates, Avery talked about his newest teammates, his coach and the upcoming season:
On Donald Brashear: “I know he’s a scary dude…I’ve never fought him; I’ve never been dumb enough to do that… It’s always good to have a presence physically on the team, whether it’s a guy on the back or a guy upfront, I think it’s something that’s important, and as much as people say it’s not a part of the game, it is
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Lundqvist The Performer
by Paul on 07/10/09 at 12:08 PM ET
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Rangers forward Sean Avery opened a New York restaurant and bar earlier this summer, and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was there to perform on the guitar.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Sean+Avery,
Late Night With Avery
by Paul on 06/16/09 at 10:19 AM ET
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from the New York Rangers,
Avery chatted with (Jimmy) Fallon for several minutes before Fallon surpised the 29-year-old Blueshirts winger by challenging him to an accuracy-shooting contest. Fallon agreed to donate the suit he was wearing to Career Gear, an organization that gives job-interview clothes to the homeless and others trying to get a fresh start in life, if Avery won the shootout.
If Avery lost the shootout, Fallon said Avery would have to put on a Philadelphia Flyers jersey to honor the members of his show’s band, The Roots, who hail from Philadelphia.
Avery accepted the challenge and went on to easily defeat Fallon in the shootout, breaking four of five targets before Fallon had broken his first.
more and watch a video of the Avery appearance below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jimmy+Fallon, Sean+Avery,
Avery Ends Up In Tennessee
by Paul on 06/10/09 at 09:17 PM ET
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from Steve Zipay of Blue Notes at Newsday,
So first, Sean Avery partners with pals in a bar on Warren Street.
Now there’s word that he’ll be a field reporter at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival starting Thursday for FUSE TV, interviewing musicians and fans at the Manchester, Tennessee site…
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Avery Responds To Not Playing In Game 5
by Paul on 04/25/09 at 09:07 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
“I totally stand behind what Torts did,” said Avery, who took two mindless penalties in the final 10 minutes of the Rangers’ 2-1 Game 4 victory. “The team comes first.
“I made a mistake. I took two bad penalties. I put the game in jeopardy. It wasn’t something I did intentionally, but that’s no excuse. I did it.
“I realize that Torts is making me a better player. The team always comes first. I’ll do anything for these guys. No one feels worse than me at this point.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
No Excuse For Avery’s Actions
by Paul on 04/24/09 at 09:17 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Game 4 was his worst night as a Ranger. Nothing comes close to it. Instead of getting into the Capitals’ heads, Avery allowed the NHL, the officiating and the unforgiving environment in which he works, to get into his. And look at what happened—he was a liability to the only people who will employ him.
Avery needs to breathe deep here. He needs to take a timeout and practice the meditation exercises he learned during his time away this winter. He needs to call a timeout on the anger that built inside of him and led to two reckless plays that nearly wrecked Wednesday’s Game 4 for his teammates.
Because if Avery can’t call a timeout on himself, John Tortorella will have to do it for him. There is, in fact, no excuse not to, for the head coach’s obligation isn’t to Avery, it’s to the Rangers.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Don Cherry On The Antics Of Avery
by Paul on 04/23/09 at 03:31 PM ET
Comments (7)
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Don+Cherry, Sean+Avery,
How To Handle Avery
by Paul on 04/15/09 at 03:15 PM ET
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from Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post,
The Capitals are expecting some antics from Avery, prepared for it, actually. “Wouldn’t you do what you do best?” asked Coach Bruce Boudreau. Avery’s role in the first-round series between the Capitals and the New York Rangers will be to agitate Ovechkin if he can, and in general to be “a really good thorn in our side,” Boudreau predicts. They’re braced for his irritating act, the swaggering belligerence clad in a high-fashion wardrobe—will he wear Dries van Noten to the game, or Alexander McQueen?—and the combination of raw knuckles and condescension.
Avery’s tactics are all about control; it’s as if his hand is on a dial manipulating the temperatures of others. He upsets his victims with crudeness, but what should bother them most is his calculation. It’s all a set-up, he goads others by questioning their toughness, gets the best of them by honing in on their insecurities, then leaves them regretting the loss of self-control, and often walks away the winner.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
How Far Can Avery Go?
by Paul on 04/06/09 at 09:19 AM ET
Comments (11)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Excuse me, but Milan Lucic sticks out his leg and injures a defenseless Nik Antropov by going knee-on-knee midway through the second period on Saturday, and it’s Sean Avery who should be suspended for kind of stupidly using his stick to tap Tim Thomas on the back of his helmet during a TV timeout?
The absence of context is the crux of the issue here, just as always. Headhunters such as Chris Pronger and Gary Roberts, who historically injure opponents, are routinely deified, notably by the sanctimonious brigade north of the border, but Avery, who has never hurt anyone but himself, must be banned for the good of the sport?
Avery has been a better pure player this time around than he was in his first Broadway run, but he hasn’t had quite the same impact. That’s because he’s trying to figure out how far he can go without being hauled in for a strip-search.
more on the Rangers…
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Thomas On Avery
by Paul on 04/05/09 at 09:22 AM ET
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from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,
Sean Avery felt yesterday was the perfect time to give Thomas one to grow on - specifically, a smack to the back of the helmet as the Bruins’ No. 1 goalie was stretching his legs during a TV timeout in the third period.
“Unwritten rule,” Thomas mused, following his 31-stop afternoon and a 1-0 win over the Rangers that led to the Bruins clinching the Eastern Conference regular-season title. “Nothing happens during TV timeouts.”
Like most parts of the rulebook, the TV timeout rule hasn’t been committed to memory by the pugnacious Ranger forward. With Thomas some 30 feet out in the slot, stretching his hamstrings, Avery oh-so-subtly cruised up from behind and smacked his stick to the back of Thomas’s head.
“You look up and see who it is,” recalled Thomas, “and you’re like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ So it was just reflex.”
read on & just in case you missed the latest Avery episode, watch it here…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery, Tim+Thomas,
Sean Avery With A Stick To The Back Of The Head Of Tim Thomas
by Paul on 04/04/09 at 04:09 PM ET
Comments (14)
Late in the 3rd period with the Bruins leading the Rangers 1-0. TV timeout, Bruins goaltender taking a break on his knees.
Avery skates by and stick makes contact with Thomas. Avery looks innocent, and the fun begins.
Both Avery and Thomas received 2 minutes for roughing and the Bruins ended up winning, 1-0.
The above video is via the Rangers network and watch the Bruins network broadcast of the play below…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery, Tim+Thomas,
Watching Avery’s Every Move
by Paul on 03/11/09 at 09:37 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
It’s one thing for a player to be shadowed on the ice by a checker, the way Jaromir Jagr was for a time by Jay Pandolfo, or Bobby Hull was by a pest named Bugsy Watson.
It’s quite another thing, however, for a player to be shadowed on the ice by game officials, the way that Sean Avery has been by referees and linesmen alike throughout the first three games of his return to the Rangers.
The NHL is on trial here every much as is Avery, the man Gary Bettman suspended for saying bad words on television, but whose television partners have no trouble exploiting to attract and keep viewers.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
The Avery Treatment
by Paul on 03/04/09 at 07:55 AM ET
Comments (6)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
“This was a hard-core 14-day treatment conducted in a lockdown environment in which Sean was grouped with patients who were experiencing serious addiction problems,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of remaining anonymous.
“Sean worked on a technique called, ‘mindfulness,’ which is a type of meditation exercise that gives an individual a type of checklist in his mind that allows him time to consider what he is going to say before he actually says it.
“It’s like installing a switch that slows things down.”
Since completing the two-week program after entering Stage 1 of the NHL/NHLPA behavioral health program, Avery has continued to receive counseling, with regularly scheduled sessions with a personal therapist in New York. These sessions will continue for an indefinite period, perhaps for the remainder of Avery’s career, if not life.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Just What The Rangers Needed
by Paul on 03/03/09 at 04:14 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Stan Fischler of Game On,
My gut feeling is that a reformed-enough Avery is precisely what the roster requires and at no cost to the current lineup – at least not yet.
Smart enough to have learned his lesson; young enough to still ooze with energy, grateful plenty for a second chance, Gabbo, I predict, be a galvanizing force in the dressing room as well as on the ice.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
As Expected, Avery A Ranger
by Paul on 03/03/09 at 12:04 PM ET
Comments (3)
640AM in Toronto reports Sean Avery claimed by the New York Rangers.
added 12:05pm, Bob McKenzie of TSN confirms.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
As Expected, Avery On Waivers
by Paul on 03/02/09 at 12:57 PM ET
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via TSN Ice Chips,
The Stars placed exiled forward Sean Avery on waivers Monday. The team that claims him, likely the Rangers, would split the remainder of his four-year, $15.5 million contract with the Stars. If no team makes a claim, Dallas would likely return him to the minors.
I heard Bob McKenzie on one of the numerous radio shows today and he said the Rangers would have to clear some cap space in order to put Avery on their roster.
Update 3:30pm ET: More at TSN --
The New York Rangers may well have cleared the way to allow Sean Avery to make his return to the Big Apple by assigning forward Mark Bell to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL on Monday.
Avery was placed on waivers by the Dallas Stars’ earlier in the day, with all signs pointing towards the Rangers willing to pick up the controversial forward for his second tour of duty in New York. By sending Bell to the AHL, the team has freed up some space under the salary cap.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
I, John Tortorella Agree…
by Paul on 02/25/09 at 06:58 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Allan Maki of the Globe and Mail,
When freshly-hired New York Rangers coach John Tortorella refused to discuss Sean Avery the other day - the same Avery who Tortorella used to roast during his TSN gig - most everyone suspected the awful truth: the Rangers were probably desperate enough to bring Avery back into the fold.
Now comes word from an NHL source that the Rangers are so intent on bringing Avery back they gave Tortorella a condition of employment: you can have the job but you’re almost certain to be coaching Avery before the season is done.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: John+Tortorella, Sean+Avery,
Get Avery To New York Now
by Paul on 02/15/09 at 07:47 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Today would be as good a time as any even if Avery, who played his first game for the Wolf Pack in last night’s 4-1 loss to Manitoba, might need another game or two to build his stamina, After claiming Avery on re-entry, the Rangers could assign him to Hartford for conditioning.
“I think [the NHL] is where I belong; that’s the type of player I am,” said Avery, who had last played 11 weeks ago today for the Stars in Edmonton. “But in saying that, I’m just happy to be playing here and I’ll worry about [the NHL] when the time comes."…
Two NHL teams with the right to claim Avery on re-entry before the Rangers - Tampa Bay and Toronto - had scouts at the match, though neither is believed interested. Unless there’s a shocker, he’s the Rangers.
Also from Brooks,
Wade Redden is Glen Sather’s Folly. That has become painfully obvious fewer than 60 games into a six-year, $39 million contract that stands as the worst in the history of the NHL, if not in the history of hard-cap pro sports.
With skills declining so precipitously over the last three seasons that if he played baseball, one would deduce that he had built his previously admirable career resume on PED’s, the 31-year-old defenseman is the GM’s Greatest Mistake, far more substantial than Stephane Quintal or Theo Fleury or Bobby Holik, or any of those pre-lockout signings that all came with erasers.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Sean Avery Making Personal Changes
by Alanah McGinley on 02/11/09 at 01:36 PM ET
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From Arthur Staple at Newsday:
“It was just a real important time in my life,” [Sean Avery] said today. “Just one of those things where I took some time to sit back and help myself become a better person. It was amazing. It was something that was important for me as a person, as a man. Actions speak louder than words.”
It’s Avery’s actions that will be scrutinized when he does get into a game with Hartford. That likely won’t happen until Saturday, or possibly a week from today—he said he did not do much skating in his two months away—and then, he’ll have to show he can be the abrasive, sometimes abusive, edge player who got himself that multi-million dollar deal.
“I’ve been playing hockey for a long time, and my on-ice game has never been an issue,” he said. “It’s other things I was working on. But I’m sure there’s still going to be an element of Sean Avery hockey that’s exciting to watch.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, Non-NHL Hockey, Minor League | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: sean+avery,
What If…
by Paul on 02/10/09 at 07:00 PM ET
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via Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice,
At this point, it doesn’t appear the Devils intend to send Martin Brodeur down to Lowell for a rehab game before he comes back to play in the NHL, but wouldn’t it be interesting if they did for Lowell’s Feb. 20 home game against the Hartford Wolfpack?
The Dallas Stars assigned Avery to Hartford (with the Rangers’ permission) today. It’s unclear how long Avery will stay there before the Stars put him back through re-entry waivers. It would be kind of funny if Avery and Brodeur were to face each other in the AHL, though. I would imagine that the Devils—if they ever decided to have Brodeur play in an AHL tune-up game—would be sure to avoid having him face Avery.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Marty+Brodeur, Sean+Avery,
Avery & Sather Statements
by Paul on 02/10/09 at 11:00 AM ET
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via the NY Rangers,
On Tuesday, the Dallas Stars assigned forward Sean Avery to the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford. The following are statemtents from Avery and Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather:
STATEMENT FROM SEAN AVERY:
“I would like to thank Glen Sather and the Rangers organization for giving me the chance to resume my hockey career by affording me this opportunity with the Hartford Wolf Pack. I am looking forward to getting back on the ice, working my way back to the NHL and playing the game I love. While I appreciate the many interview requests, at this point in time, I would like to focus on hockey and will not be making any further statements while with the Wolf Pack.”STATEMENT FROM GLEN SATHER:
“Sean and the Dallas Stars approached me looking for an American Hockey League team for him to resume playing, and I am happy to provide him with the opportunity to continue his career. Sean was a good player for the Rangers during his time here and has worked extremely hard off the ice over the last two months. He remains under contract to and property of the Stars, therefore, any further comment would be inappropriate.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Glenn+Sather, Sean+Avery,
The Future Of Avery
by Paul on 02/09/09 at 12:54 PM ET
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from Fan590,
NHL player agent Pat Morris checks into the Hockey Central studios to talk about Sean Avery and where he might end up after being placed on waivers. Pat details what Sean Avery will look to do in order to get back to the National Hockey League.
Pat was on about a half hour ago after Avery cleared waivers. A good listen if you are interested in the future of Avery.
Update 2:40pm ET (alanah): From Eric McErlain at the Sporting News, the Rangers need Avery:
Were the Rangers a better team last season with Avery in the lineup? The answer to that question was an emphatic yes. The real problem, simply put, was that the team couldn’t afford to keep Avery on a roster that added Markus Naslund, Wade Redden and a passel of interchangeable checking forwards to the payroll. But now that New York GM Glen Sather has spent all this cash with the aim of constructing a team designed to go deep into the playoffs, he’s running out of options.
In that way, the Rangers are a lot like the Vancouver Canucks. The money has been spent, and the players—and their massive contracts—are in place. At this point and for the foreseeable future, rebuilding isn’t an option for the Rangers. Either they make the playoffs with the players they have or they don’t. And if they don’t, heads will undoubtedly roll.
In light of that information, I can understand why the Rangers would break the glass and reach for Avery. But let’s not pretend that it’s a good option. Rather, it’s just the only option available with time running down on the season.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Get Avery Now
by Paul on 02/09/09 at 08:03 AM ET
Comments (7)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
It would be the smart play for the Rangers to accelerate the process rather than allowing the Stars to assign Avery to the Blueshirts’ AHL Hartford affiliate for an indeterminate period of time before going the re-entry route.
The Rangers gain nothing by allowing teams to get a free look at Avery for a week or two before deciding whether to pluck him. That’s a time frame in which some club might suffer a series of injuries and thereby choose to take a shot at him. If any team wants him, the Rangers should force the decision to be made immediately, sight unseen.
Plus, it best serves the Rangers’ interests to get Avery into the organization as quickly as possible in order to integrate him into the equation as smoothly as possible and to have complete control of the process and the timetable.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Avery Officially on Waivers
by Paul on 02/07/09 at 12:30 PM ET
Comments (4)
from Mike Heika of the Dallas Stars Blog,
The NHL does not make a big deal about this stuff, so he sort of snuck on there this morning.
That means the suspended winger has completed his anger management therapy and is cleared to resume his NHL season. The Stars own his rights, so he has to go back on their roster, where he will take up a roster spot and salary cap space.
However, Avery has already been placed on waivers by the Stars and will clear at 11 a.m. on Monday.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
The Rangers Need Avery
by Paul on 02/07/09 at 07:03 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
The last week of February, that’s when you should expect to see Sean Avery in a Rangers uniform, assuming all goes well in the rehabilitation and waiver processes designed to bring the winger back home to the only NHL city in which he can play.
It can’t come soon enough for a team that is in need of shock treatment to avert a complete breakdown in the wake of last night’s colossally humiliating 10-2 defeat in Dallas that extended the losing streak to a season-high four games (0-3-1).
Just like that, the Rangers are somehow just six points up on the ninth-place Hurricanes and 10th-place Penguins, with one game in hand on Pittsburgh. Just like that, the Rangers are no sure thing.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Rangers Want Avery Back
by Alanah McGinley on 02/06/09 at 09:59 AM ET
Comments (6)
From Larry Brooks at the New York Post:
The Rangers have conducted thorough internal discussions regarding the feasibility of bringing Sean Avery back to Broadway and appear to be on the verge of allowing Dallas to send Hockey’s Public Enemy No. 1 to Hartford in what would be the first step of the process, The Post has learned.
The organizational meetings included management personnel, coaches and players. They yielded a consensus that Avery’s return to the Rangers New York Rangers is very much worth pursuing and that his injection into the lineup this season would be a constructive move.
Update 10:14am ET: From Steve Zipay at Blue Notes:
Should the Rangers reacquire Avery---who hasn’t played since Nov. 30 after being suspended for an inappropriate televised remark about former girlfriends and would first have to pass through waivers twice---it could pretty much detour any other significant deals before the trade deadline.
I think the Rangers could be kicking the tires---team execs speak a lot---but I can’t believe this is anything but a long shot for this season, especially after Avery’s remarks about some current Rangers as a Star.
Update 11:36am ET: An overview of all the speculation and issues from Stu Hackel at the NYT Slapshot blog.
Update 12:19pm ET: Deadspin today is looking forward to Avery return, and speculates on his recent behavioral therapy --
The details of his treatment haven’t been specified, but I imagine it’s Avery being shuffled around from doctor to doctor trying to explain that there’s actually nothing wrong with him, and the NHL is just antiquated and boring. Then they show him a picture of a black splotch on a white piece of paper, give him some Prozac, and then pump him full of positive reinforcement before he goes off shopping for chinchilla-lined pea coats.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: sean+avery,
Avery’s Departure Not the Only Reason for Surging Stars
by Alanah McGinley on 02/04/09 at 03:23 PM ET
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From Mike Brophy at Sportsnet,
The signing of Avery was a mistake - and at $15.5 million over four years it might be one of the most expensive mistakes in NHL history. Not a single player was happy with the addition of the controversial, self-centered winger and his presence had an adverse affect on numerous players the team depends on.
The Stars were 8-11-4 with Avery and are 16-7-4 without him.
Avery aside, the Stars desperately needed Turco to return to form if they were going to dig themselves out of a hole. It looks as though Turco is back on his game.
read on for more on Dallas’ turnaround
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: marty+turco, sean+avery,
Hockey Players are Different
by Alanah McGinley on 01/08/09 at 01:46 PM ET
Comments (1)
This was published yesterday but we only just came across it today. From Adam Burish, winger for the Chicago Blackhawks, in his Chicago Sun-Times blog Dropping the Gloves:
You will not see a hockey player call his own press conference in his front yard with his shirt off, doing sit-ups, and saying how great he is. You will not see a hockey player tell the media how stupid practice is, and how stupid his coach is for not starting him. And you will not see a hockey player bring a gun into a club and accidentally shoot himself.
I know some people will say, ‘well what about Sean Avery.’ Sean Avery recently said he doesn’t understand why other players in the league seem to take his “sloppy seconds,” in reference to another hockey player who is dating his ex-girlfriend. Stupid, I know, but is that the worst thing you’ve heard an athlete say? I don’t think so. In no other sport will you see a team hand out the type of punishment Sean Avery received for it.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: adam+burish, sean+avery,
Ten Reasons Why Avery Should Not Be A Member Of The New York Rangers
by Paul on 01/08/09 at 12:33 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Mark Hermann of Newsday,
There are very good reasons why Rangers fans are so hot to get Sean Avery back.
One is he has a rare combination of skills: He is a world-class provocateur and he also is, as coach Tom Renney used to say during Avery’s time with the Rangers, a good hockey player.
Two, he was effective, especially when he first came to New York from the Los Angeles Kings in February, 2007....
Not to be spoilsport, but there are more and better reasons why the Rangers shouldn’t come within 100 miles of him…
• His reputation is radioactive now. No flying under the radar to get under opponents’ skin in the crease. He would be the big Rangers story every day. At every stop, people would clamor to get a few words from him, hoping to hear him say something outrageous.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Hard To Forgive Avery
by Paul on 01/07/09 at 10:46 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated,
The hockey world is a generally forgiving place. It is willing to embrace Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet despite his 2007 conviction for conspiracy to promote gambling, and it continues to employ hulking Calgary forward Todd Bertuzzi, even though he pleaded guilty to an on-ice criminal assault of Steve Moore, an ‘04 attack that fractured the Colorado forward’s neck and ended his career. Live and let live, eh? The quality of mercy is not strained, except in the relationship between Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery and the league that now considers him a pariah. Avery did not place a bet, drive drunk, injure anyone or wield a weapon other than a sharp tongue. If scabrous speech were a felony, NHL teams would be forced to skate three-on-three.
So why can’t hockey forgive him?
continued (in-depth)
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Avery Meets-Up With Old Teammates
by Paul on 01/05/09 at 09:44 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Rangers Report,
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to cut back on senseless Sean Avery rumormongering—what, that wasn’t one of yours?—but I couldn’t help but notice this Page Six item about Avery being spotted recently at a club in New York.
While that part was about as surprising as Tom Renney being seen watching opposing team video, what was noteworthy was that Avery was reported “hanging with former teammates…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Don’t You Know Who I Am?
by Paul on 12/21/08 at 09:00 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,
Scene: A meeting room where eight chairs are shoehorned around one older man, who sits on the edge of a desk....
A young, athletic-looking man who’s wearing comically oversized sunglasses looks around, then realizes the counsellor is talking to him.
“Why don’t you stand up and tell us about yourself.”
The younger man rises.
“Are there any TV cameras here?” he asks.
“No, son,” says the counsellor. “You’re completely anonymous here.”
The younger man looks disappointed for a moment.
“Are you sure you don’t know who I am?” he asks.
“No idea,” someone in the group says, and again he looks disappointed before he continues.
“My name is Sean,” he says.
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Morning Line
by Paul on 12/15/08 at 08:59 AM ET
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“...I think Sean needs a strong coach like Mike Keenan. To have him under control. Then a lot of scandals could have been avoided.
Actually, people with a big self opinion will never understand Avery and will always think of him as an outsider. But I can never take Sean seriously. I have never had any problems with him.”
-Jaromir Jagr. Read more from Eric McErlain at the NHL Fanhouse.
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Tags: Jaromir+Jagr, Sean+Avery,
The ESPN Mindset On Avery - All About The Publicity
by Paul on 12/15/08 at 08:28 AM ET
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from Paul Kix of ESPN, To put it bluntly,
Sean Avery was the extent to which we followed hockey. A sartorially minded on-ice agitator who trashes the new boyfriends of his old exes? That’s reason enough to stay tuned, dude. We won’t any more, now that the Stars have banished him from the team, even agreeing to pay his salary so long as he keeps out of the arena. But with a look at Avery’s sins, one thing’s for certain: Whoever gets the Stars’ sloppy seconds will have to up the tolerance for anarchy, because this is milquetoast stuff.
And the NHL wonders why it can’t expand its audience....
This is the problem with the NHL: It thinks a guy who interns at Vogue and routinely shows up in People and on PerezHilton is bad for the game. You fools. He’s growing the game. Or at least, he was.
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Avery Will Not Return To Dallas
by Paul on 12/14/08 at 10:09 AM ET
Comments (13)
added 3:15pm, from Scott Burnside of ESPN,
As much as Avery is a pariah at this moment, that view might change significantly between now and the March 4 trade deadline.
If Avery shows he’s changed and the Stars brought him back through waivers, he could be claimed by another NHL team at half his salary and half his salary-cap hit. By that time Avery might look pretty attractive to a team that has Cup aspirations but lacks what they see as the required grit to get over the hump.
But that moment is far in the distance.
“There’s no sense talking about it until he gets better,” Hull said.
(Dallas, TX December 14, 2008) – The Dallas Stars today announced that Sean Avery will not return to the NHL team. Representatives for both Avery and the Stars said they would continue to work together in support of Avery during “this critical time” for the player. All parties said there is a clear understanding that a return to the Stars is not in the best interest of either the hockey club or Avery.
“Sean needs to focus on his own well-being while the Stars hockey team must focus on playing hockey and competing for a playoff spot,” said Stars Co-General Manager Brett Hull. “Everyone understands that Sean will not return to the Dallas Stars. We all need to move forward.”
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Avery Update
by Paul on 12/10/08 at 08:03 PM ET
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via Mike Heika of the Dallas Stars blog,
Co-GM Brett Hull said:
“We’re doing everything we can to help Sean and look at our options, but the rules make this something that needs to be done inside the team. Because he is suspended and because he’s in the PA’s treatment program, we are not going to be commenting on what he is doing.”
I kind of thought that’s what might happen.
As for rumors that Hicks is going to re-assign Hull, the owner said:
“I’ve heard that and it’s wrong. I have no plans to change the management team.”
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Stars Owner On Avery & His Future In Dallas
by Paul on 12/08/08 at 04:15 PM ET
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from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,
Sean Avery’s future with the Dallas Stars could be decided on Wednesday in Dallas, when owner Tom Hicks sits down with his lieutenants in Dallas.
“We’re going to look at all the alternatives, and some recommendations from Brett [Hull], Les [Jackson] and Jeff (Cogen, Stars president),” Hicks said on Monday as he arrived at the National Hockey League’s board of governors meeting at the swish Breaker Hotel on the Florida coast…
Has he played his last game as a Star?
“I’m not prepared to say that yet. I want to give our guys the respect they deserve to make the recommendations.,” Hicks said. “Certainly when [Dallas head coach] Dave Tippett comes out and stakes his claim, it’s pretty hard to overcome that.”
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Just What The NHL Did Not Need
by Paul on 12/08/08 at 09:09 AM ET
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from Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette,
Even Fox News, a network that can’t be watched by anyone with an IQ higher than a zucchini, jumped all over the story last week. I was checking out of a Wyoming hotel when my jaw dropped at this intro from the Fox anchor: “The National Hockey League, known mostly for its brutality and bloody brawls ...”
Huh? My New NHL? Third man in? Anybody out there remember the last bloody brawl in the NHL?
Whatever, Fox went downhill from there. For a full five minutes, the anchor and two panelists revealed such bottomless ignorance of the league and the issues involved that they might as well have been talking about cricket. The only male on the panel, who claimed to be a hockey player himself, referred to the NHL as a league where “you get two minutes in the penalty box for assault and battery.”
Try telling that to Todd Bertuzzi.
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Make The Call Sean
by Paul on 12/07/08 at 09:20 PM ET
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from James Duthie of TSN,
Somewhere in Russia, a cell phone rings....
Avery: “It’s Sean.”
Emery: “Shean Donovan! Great to hear from a Sen! I knew one of you would call me eventually! It only took…seven months. Wassup!?! You guys miss me don’tcha? I bet Alex Auld’s suits are weak, right? No way could that dude pull off a top hat!
Avery: “No…no. It’s Sean AVERY! But you’re right about the suits. I interned at Vogue, Ray. They even talk about you duds there.”
Emery: “Oh, that Sean Avery! Good to hear from you. How are your Rangers doing?”
Avery: “Uhh…Yeah…I actually signed with Dallas last summer.”
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Wrong Guy Handed Down The Avery Suspension
by Paul on 12/05/08 at 05:48 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Al Strachan at Fox Sports,
Hockey players take great pride in never shirking their responsibilities to the sport. They’d rather crawl off the ice dragging a broken leg behind them than writhe around like an Italian soccer player with a hangnail. As the superb Orange County Register columnist Mark Whicker once wrote, “If Abraham Lincoln had been a hockey player, the day after the Ford’s Theater incident, he’d have been listed as ‘slight headache; will play.’”
So when Avery made his senseless remark — the latest in a series — he broke no laws, but he absolutely shattered hockey’s code.
This was his transgression and it was certainly deserving of the league’s action.
But the question that remains unanswered is this: Why was Bettman involved? This was a matter concerning hockey’s code of acceptable behavior, and where is there the slightest indication that Bettman has even the most cursory familiarity with that?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gary+Bettman, Sean+Avery,
NHLPA Statement On Avery Suspension
by Paul on 12/05/08 at 05:00 PM ET
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TORONTO (December 5, 2008): NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly’s statement regarding the suspension of Sean Avery for six regular season games:
“While the NHLPA does not condone Sean’s comments, which were clearly inappropriate, the discipline imposed by the Commissioner is unprecedented both in its severity, as well as the process by which it was handed down. We have also seen signals from the Dallas Stars that Sean’s contractual rights might be challenged. We are monitoring the situation as it develops, and we will evaluate all legal options as the circumstances warrant. In the meantime, our first priority is supporting Sean’s efforts to learn from his mistake and move forward in a positive manner.”
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Press Conference Transcript: Bettman on the Avery Suspension
by Alanah McGinley on 12/05/08 at 03:36 PM ET
Comments (3)
Q. How did you come to settle on the number of six games, and two, had you spoken to the Stars before you decided on the suspension by the league? I get the feeling that they were going to take action if you had not.
COMMISSIONER BETTMAN: Let me take the second question first. What we have done is reflect the league response. This is what we felt was the appropriate response to what Sean Avery said, and what the Stars choose to do or not do is up to them. And you’ll have to talk to them if you would like their guidance in that regard.
With respect to the six games, as all of you who cover the game know, there is no formula that ever gets you to a particular number in disciplinary cases with precision. You have to do your evaluating based upon the entirety of the circumstances, what you think is correct.
What was guiding me in this case was a number of factors. One, we needed to be clear that this was the type of conduct that we did not view as acceptable and not representative of what our players do.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: gary+bettman, media, sean+avery, suspension,
Possible Destinations For Avery
by Paul on 12/05/08 at 03:11 PM ET
Comments (5)
from Scott Cullen of TSN,
So, the teams that might consider an Avery trade would have to be teams that are looking to unload their own bad long-term contracts.
Some options worth exploring:
Sergei Samsonov, LW, Carolina - With just two goals and a minus-6 rating in 26 games, Samsonov still has two years and $5.3-million left on his contract after this season. It’s a bad deal, but probably not as bad as Avery’s, so the Stars would probably have to sweeten the offer....
Jason Blake, LW, Toronto - Though he’s played better in recent games, it’s still fair to say that Blake hasn’t lived up to expectations with the Maple Leafs.
read on with some trade talk too…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Six Games For Avery
by Paul on 12/05/08 at 10:23 AM ET
Comments (6)
from Dan Rosen of NHL.com,
The verdict is in, and Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery will be sitting out a little while longer for the inappropriate comments he made earlier this week.
The National Hockey League announced Friday morning that Avery has been suspended for six games, without pay, retroactive to Tuesday’s game in Calgary, as a result of the comments he made Tuesday morning after the his team’s morning skate at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
Avery also agreed to seek professional anger-management evaluation and, if necessary, structured counseling in light of his pattern of behavior, which the NHL has deemed unacceptable and antisocial behavior.
added 10:55am, Officiall release from the NHL on Avery…
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Sean Avery—Decision Pending
by Alanah McGinley on 12/04/08 at 02:33 PM ET
Comments (4)
From NHL.com:
After the meeting, [Brett] Hull spoke to the media outside the building before leaving and said that he expected a decision by later today or Friday. Avery departed after Hull and did not speak to reporters as he was escorted to a waiting car.
If a decision comes down today from the NHL, we’ll be sure to update this post.
Incidentally, Eric McErlain at AOL’s NHL Fanhouse published an interesting interview today that relates to another recent Avery incident.
update 6:18pm, The NHL will release their decision Friday morning regarding Avery.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: brett+hull, sean+avery, suspensions,
What Could Happen To Avery
by Paul on 12/03/08 at 05:33 PM ET
Comments (5)
from Bob McKenzie of TSN,
Sources tell TSN that Avery’s personal publicist reached out to the Stars’ organization first thing Wednesday morning in an effort to get Avery an audience with his teammates so he could apologize to them.
The Stars made it clear to Avery’s representative that the door was not open for that to happen at this time and perhaps not at all.
The Stars, it would seem, are not in the mood for reconciliation. The Avery-inflicted wounds - in the dressing room, in the coaches’ offices, in the front office and the ownership suite - are just too raw and fresh at this point. And they may never heal to the point to allow him a way back in.
more and with this story, I am closing the Avery talk. I have had enough and until something official comes out from either the Stars or the NHL, no more Avery talk from me. Perhaps I should turn my attention to Sundin non-news?
added 7:38pm, via Craig Custance of the Sporting News,
“I would like to sincerely apologize for my off-color remarks to the press yesterday from Calgary,” said a statement obtained by SportingNews.com.
“I should not have made those comments and I recognize that they were inappropriate. It was a bad attempt to build excitement for the game, but I am now acutely aware of how hurtful my actions were. I caused unnecessary embarrassment to my peers as well as people I have been close with in the past.
“I apologize for offending the great fans of the NHL, the Commissioner, my teammates, my coaching staff and the Dallas Stars Management and Ownership. As many of you know, I like to mix it up on and off the ice from time to time, but understand that this time I took it too far.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Dallas Stars | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Sean+Avery,
Brooks On Avery
by Paul on 12/03/08 at 03:27 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Gary Bettman’s decision to indefinitely suspend Avery pending a hearing tomorrow in New York is extraordinary, unprecedented, and most importantly, an abuse of power that the NHLPA must vigorously oppose even if a vast majority of its membership would just as soon see Page Six Sean receive a dishonorable discharge from the NHL.
This suspension must be challenged in an independent forum where the burden of proof would be placed on the commissioner to demonstrate that saying the words “sloppy seconds” represents “[conduct] detrimental to [the NHL] or the game of hockey,” as Bettman is claiming in citing the language in By-Law 17 and Article 6 of the NHL constitution as grounds for imposing discipline.
You do know there is a very simple solution to all of this? Stars waive Avery, he clears, spends a few weeks in the minors. Stars recall Sean, he gets picked up by Calgary. Case settled!!!
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 12/03/08 at 02:57 PM ET
Comments (1)
“It’s ridiculous we’re even talking about this, because our game is about great people doing great things and yet the attention our game is getting today in the U.S. is over this.’’
-Wings coach Mike Babcock on the Avery issue. More comments from the Wings from Ansar Khan of Mlive.
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Tags: Sean+Avery,
