Full Name: Sean Avery
Date Of Birth: April 10, 1980.
Birthplace: Pickering, Ontario
Ht-Wt: 5′ 9″- 185
Hockey’s Villian. The Most Hated Player in Hockey. The NHL’s No. 1 Bad Boy. These names can all be associated with Sean Avery. Whether you love him or you hate him you have to agree that he does his job better than almost anyone. Avery antagonizes players, chirps at the refs, pisses off fans and coaches and doesn’t even seem to care. His antics off the ice have led to him being suspended by the NHL. But starting back at the beginning.
Avery started his hockey career in the OHL where he played for the Owen Sound Platers and the Kingston Frontenacs. His NHL career started with the Detroit Red Wings in 1999. Avery was not drafted to enter the NHL so he was picked up by the Detroit Red Wings in 1999. He played another season in the junoirs befor he started with the Red Wings in 2000. The Red Wings won the Cup that season but Avery didn’t play in the playoffs. He also didn’t play the 40 games in the regular season to get his named engraved on the Cup.
During the 2002-2003 season Avery was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for defenceman Mathieu Schneider . Wings GM said one of the reasons he traded Avery was because he lacked respect for the game.
During the lockout Avery said that the NHLPA was lying to its’ members about the lockout. During the lockout Avery breifly lived with former teammate Chris Chelios only for three weeks because the veteran defenseman’s patience wore thin with him. “He turned my house upside down” said Chelios.
Avery again created controversy when Denis Gauthier laid out Jeremy Roenick in a preseason game giving him a concussion. Avery responded by saying “I think it was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up,” which angeres many French Canadians. Avery again made headlines when Georges Laraque, a Black Canadian, said that Avery called him a monkey though Avery denies this. Avery was fined $1,000 for diving during a game and another $1,000 the next day when he publicly criticized Colin Campbell the NHL main disciplinarian.
Avery and Anaheim Ducks broadcaster and former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Brian Haywerd had a heated discussion in the Kings dressing room on April 7, 2006, over Hayward’s on air comments during the April 4 Kings vs Ducks game, in which he accused Avery of avoiding a fight with Ducks’ forward Todd Fedoruk. Avery began the argument by uttering that Hayward was an “embarrassment”, a “(terrible) announcer”, and was a “(terrible) player”. Hayward responded by saying “How would you know? When I played, you were in your third year of eighth grade.” Near the end of the season, the Kings decided to suspend Avery, stating that he would not be with the team for the remainder of the year. A source claimed Avery had an argument with assistant coach Mark Hardy after refusing to participate in a practice drill.
On February 5, 2007 Avery was traded for the Kings to the Rangers in a multi player deal. Avery scored 20 points in 27 games to help the Rangers make the playoffs that year. Avery scored a career high 4 points in one game against the Bruins. He had a goal and 3 assists to help the Rangers to a 7-0 victory.
Avery recieved a one-year 1.9 million dollar contract for the 07-08 season. During late Novemeber in 2007 Avery had arthoscpoic surgery on his wrist keeping him out until 2 days before Christmas. When Avery scored 10 seconds into a game against the Sabres at MSG avery set a record for the fastest Rangers home goal. On April 30, 2008 Avery went to the hospital after a playoff game against the Penguins Avery was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with a lacerated spleen.
During the offseason Avery signed a 4 year 15.5 million dollar contract with the Dallas Stars. Stars GM Brett Hull felt the Stars need more emtion on the ice and felt Avery would fit the bill well. Avery’s performance witht the Stars was very sluggish scoring only 3 goals before being removed from the team. His play was very frustarting to many of his teammates.
On December 2, 2008 Avery made controversial comments regarding his former girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert. Avery said “common thing in the NHL for guys to in love my sloppy seconds”. Within hours the NHL suspended Avery for 6 games. After the suspension was served the Stars announced that Avery would not be returning to the Stars. One of the main reasons Avery was not brought back was because that Head Coach of the Stars Dave Tippet told Avery to not talk to the media about former girlfriends and was outraged when he found out that Avery did.
Avery was reassigned to the Rangers AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack. On March 2nd Avery was placed on re-entry waivers by the Stars. On March 3rd he was claimed by the Rangers. Coach Torts who had been critical of Avery while he was a TSN analyst said he’d give Avery a second chance. On April 4, Avery returned to his ways when he tapped goalie Tim Thomas on the head with his stick as he skated by. Thomas went after Avery and both were handed roughing minors. During Game 4 of the series against Washington was probably Avery’s worst moment as a Ranger. During an icing call Avery spun around while collided with the boards and whacked Milan Jurcina in the face with his hand/stick. the incident bloodie Jurcina and Avery was sent to the box. Later in that same period After the play was whistled dead he blatently high stciked Brian Pothier in the face and was given another minor penalty which almost cost the Rangers the game. He was subsequently benched the next game by John Tortorella.
Avery is a small player known for his unique way of playing the role of agitator. Avery is known for the incident now known as the “Avery Rule”. Rule 75: An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediatly, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the oppostion goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to make a play. This rule was made after a first round playoff game between the Rangers and Devils when Avery postioned himself in front of Marty Brodeur and started waving his stick trying to disract him.
Avery’s contract with the Rangers is for three more years in which the will be responsible for $2 million/year.
Next Biography: Henrik Lundqvist probably later this week/early next week.
