Sean Christopher Avery is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
of the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). He formerly played for the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
,
Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
,
Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Prior to the NHL, Avery played for the
Owen Sound PlatersOwen Sound Platers was a name used for a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1989 to 2000, in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. In 2000, after the team was sold, new ownership renamed the team the Owen Sound Attack.-History:...
and the
Kingston FrontenacsThe Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The team is coached by Todd Gill and Doug Gilmour is the General Manager. The Frontenacs play home games at the K-Rock Centre, which opened in 2008.Team history predates the OHA,...
of the
Ontario Hockey LeagueThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL). He is well known for his agitating playing style, as well as for controversial behavior both on and off the ice.
Detroit Red Wings (1999–2003)
Avery was not drafted but instead signed by the Red Wings as a free agent in 1999. He played one final season in junior before turning professional in 2000 in the
American Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL). He broke into the NHL in the
2001–02 seasonThe 2001–02 Detroit Red Wings season was the 76th National Hockey League season in Detroit, Michigan. The Wings scored 116 points, winning the Central Division, their third Presidents' Trophy, and home ice throughout the playoffs...
, playing 36 games with the Red Wings. The Red Wings went on to win the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
that season, but Avery did not play in the playoffs nor did he play the required 40 games to get his name engraved on the Cup.
Midway through the 2002–03 season, Avery was traded to the
Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the trade for defenseman
Mathieu SchneiderMathieu Schneider is a American former professional ice hockey player. Considered an offensive defenseman, Schneider played 1289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams, scoring 233 goals and totalling 743 points...
. Avery finished the season with 15 points in 51 games. Years later, Red Wings general manager
Ken HollandKenneth Mark Holland is a retired Canadian professional goaltender and current General Manager and executive Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Holland was drafted in the 12th round, 188th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft...
said that one reason he unloaded Avery was because he seemed to lack respect for the game.
Los Angeles Kings (2003–2007)
In 2003–04 Avery played 76 games for the Kings, scoring nine goals and 19 assists. Avery also led the NHL in penalty minutes with 261. His tenure with the Kings was marked by a number of publicized controversial utterances.
Avery played in the Finnish
SM-liigaThe SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
for
PelicansPelicans is an ice hockey team playing in the SM-liiga, and formed in 1996. They play in the city of Lahti, Finland at Isku Arena. The team is partially owned by retired NHL goaltender Pasi Nurminen.-Notable players:* Sean Avery* Jason Bonsignore...
. In 2 games he scored 3 goals, but then left
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
unexpectedly and returned to
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. He then played in the UHL alongside
Chris CheliosChristos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
,
Bryan SmolinskiBryan Anthony Smolinski is an American professional ice hockey center. The Boston Bruins drafted him 21st overall in 1990. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and...
, and
Derian HatcherDerian Hatcher is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers...
for the
Motor City MechanicsThe Motor City Mechanics were a professional ice hockey team of the United Hockey League. The Mechanics played their first two seasons, from 2004–2006, at Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena in Fraser, Michigan...
. He tallied 26 points in 16 games, 15 goals and 11 assists. Those 15 goals included two hat tricks, making Avery the first player in Mechanics history to record two hat tricks in one season. He also had 149 penalty minutes. Avery made news during the lockout, when he was quoted as saying that the management of the National Hockey League Players Association lied to its members about the lockout. During the lockout, Avery lived for three weeks with former teammate
Chris CheliosChristos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
, until Chelios' patience wore thin. "He turned my house upside down", Chelios said.
Denis GauthierDenis Gauthier, Jr. is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. A first round selection of the Calgary Flames at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Gauthier played for the Flames, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings during his ten season National Hockey League ...
of the
Phoenix CoyotesThe Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
bodychecked Kings forward
Jeremy RoenickJeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
in a 2005 preseason game, giving Roenick a concussion. Avery's response was "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," generating much controversy with the French-Canadian public. Avery also made news during the regular season when
Georges LaraqueGeorges Laraque is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens before his contract was bought out in 2010. He is also a host for CFRN and deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada. During his NHL career he played for the Edmonton Oilers,...
of the
Edmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, a
Black Canadian'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
, claimed that Avery called him a monkey during a contest between the two teams. The incident was never proven and Avery adamantly denies it ever occurred. Avery was fined $1,000 by the NHL on November 15, 2005, for intentionally diving during a game, then was fined $1,000 more a day later after publicly criticizing the NHL's director of hockey operations,
Colin CampbellColin John Campbell , nicknamed "Sheriff", is a former professional ice hockey defenceman, coach and the former Senior Vice President and current Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League...
.
Avery and
Anaheim Mighty DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
broadcaster and former
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
goaltender
Brian HaywardBrian George Hayward is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and current colour analyst of the Anaheim Ducks on Prime Ticket/Fox Sports West and KDOC.-Playing career:...
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 FedorukTodd Fedoruk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He is currently an assistant coach with the Trenton Titans of the ECHL.-Playing career:...
. 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 July 24, 2006 the Los Angeles Kings signed Avery to a $1.1 million, one-year contract. Avery was a restricted
free agentIn professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, so the Kings avoided going into salary arbitration by signing him to a deal.
New York Rangers (2007–2008)
On February 5, 2007, Avery was traded by the Kings to the New York Rangers in a multi-player deal. After Avery joined the Rangers, he scored 20 points in 29 games to help the team complete a 17-4-6 end-of-season run to qualify for the playoffs. Avery recorded a career-high four points in a game against the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
on March 17. He notched one goal and added three assists to help the Rangers beat the Bruins 7–0. Avery later played in his first career playoff game on April 12 against the
Atlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
. He recorded his first playoff points with a goal and an assist in the series against the Thrashers. He cut down on penalty minutes by about 65% in 2006–07 compared to seasons past.
On August 1, 2007 Avery, as a restricted free agent, earned an
arbitrationArbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
award of $1.9 million for the 2007–08 season, which the Rangers accepted, thus keeping him with the team for at least another year.
Colin Campbell and the NHL fined Avery,
Darcy TuckerDarcy Tucker is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played most of his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens...
, the Rangers, and the
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for actions during warmups before their November 10, 2007, game. Howard Berger of Toronto radio station CJCL The Fan 590 alleged that the reason for the altercation was a remark made by Avery concerning Jason Blake's diagnosis with a rare form of Leukemia. However Avery denied making the comments, and served CJCL with a notice of libel. On December 3, the radio station retracted on air its allegations made about Avery.
On November 29, 2007, Avery had arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist and did not return to the ice until the game against the
Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on December 23.
When Avery scored his seventh goal of the season, ten seconds into a game against the
Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
on February 16, 2008, he set a record for fastest goal scored by a Ranger at home ice.
In the early morning of April 30, 2008, after a playoff game against the Penguins, Avery went to the hospital with a lacerated spleen. He was released from the
St. Vincent's Medical CenterSt. Vincent's Medical Center is a 528-bed full service tertiary care Catholic hospital located in Jacksonville, Florida. It is the largest non-profit Catholic hospital in the United States...
on May 4.
Dallas Stars (2008)
Avery signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract with the
Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
on July 2, 2008. He had been a roommate of current Stars co-general manager
Brett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
when the two played for the Red Wings. Hull thought the Stars needed more fire and emotion on the ice, and felt Avery would fit the bill.
Avery's performance largely mirrored the Stars' sluggish early performance; he only scored three goals before he and the team parted ways due to controversial remarks about fellow NHL players (see below). His play was a source of frustration to his teammates; according to
TSN'sThe Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
James DuthieJames "Boom Boom" Duthie is an Ottawa-born Canadian sportscaster for TSN. He is currently the host of The NHL on TSN. In the past, he has hosted CFL Live, NBA in the Paint and SportsCentre. He also writes a column for TSN.ca called The Good the Bad the Duthie...
, one anonymous Star said that Avery "doesn't pay attention" and has not been able to grasp the Stars' system.
During a November 1 game against the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Avery was accused of unleashing a torrent of obscenities at a fan who was heckling him in the penalty box. A complaint was filed with the NHL, but no action was taken.
Controversial "sloppy seconds" comment
On December 2, 2008, prior to the Stars' morning skate in preparation for a game against the
Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Avery approached the assembled reporters in the dressing room and informed them that he was about to make a statement. He proceeded to make the following comment directed towards then Flames' defenceman
Dion PhaneufDion Phaneuf is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League...
, who is dating Avery's ex-girlfriend
Elisha CuthbertElisha Ann Cuthbert is a Canadian film and television actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids. In 1998, she had her first film role in Airspeed. She followed this in 2003 with a role in Old School...
.
Within hours, the NHL suspended him indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the league or the game of hockey". His comments were met with near-unanimous condemnation by the Stars organization, fellow players and fans alike. Stars owner
Tom HicksThomas Ollis Hicks, Sr. , is an American 'leveraged buyout' businessman living in Dallas, Texas. Despite Forbes Magazine estimating Hicks' wealth at USD 1 billion in 2009, Hicks was unable to pay off joint loans of circa £200 million the following year...
said that the team would have suspended Avery had the NHL not acted first. Avery apologized the next day, calling his actions "a bad attempt to build excitement for the game."
On December 5, the NHL fixed Avery's suspension at six games, retroactive to the December 2 game against the Flames. He agreed to undergo an
anger managementThe term anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which someone with excessive or uncontrollable anger & aggression can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state...
evaluation, and structured counseling if necessary, due to what the NHL called
"unacceptable and antisocialAnti-social behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence, as opposed to pro-social behaviour, behaviour that helps or benefits society...
" behavior "at odds with the manner in which his more than 700 fellow players conduct themselves". The league disclosed that Avery had been warned before about his behavior by both
CommissionerThe National Hockey League Commissioner is the highest-ranking executive officer in the National Hockey League . The position was created in 1993 with Gary Bettman as the first Commissioner...
Gary BettmanGary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
and league disciplinarian Colin Campbell.
On December 14, 2008—only hours after the last game of Avery's suspension—the Stars announced that Avery would not return to the team. However, Hull said the Stars would continue to honor Avery's contract and support him while he gets help. Earlier, TSN reported that Stars' management were actively pursuing all options to permanently rid themselves of Avery. Hull said one factor in the decision was that coach
Dave TippettDavid G. Tippett is a National Hockey League head coach, currently of the Phoenix Coyotes. He is the 6th person to be the head coach of the Coyotes, and the 21st coach in the Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. He is the former head coach of the Dallas Stars...
and the rest of the team did not want to take Avery back. Earlier, Tippett had said he had specifically told Avery not to talk to the media about his former girlfriends, and was very upset when he did so.
Return to the Rangers (2009–present)
After completing his program, Avery was placed on
waiversWaivers is a National Hockey League labor management procedure by which an NHL team makes a professional ice hockey player’s contract and rights available to all other NHL teams. The term refers to the term that other NHL teams 'waive' any claim to a player designated for assignment, re-entry from...
by the Stars on February 7, 2009, and cleared waivers on February 9. Rumors began to surface that the New York Rangers were possibly interested in bringing back Avery. As many were predicting, Avery was then assigned to the
Hartford Wolf PackThe Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center....
, the Rangers'
American Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, although he remained a member of the Stars' organization (that season, the Stars had no AHL affiliate). On March 2, after weeks of the possible return and buzz league wide, Avery was placed on re-entry waivers by Dallas and claimed by the Rangers on March 3. Rangers head coach
John TortorellaJonathan "John" Tortorella is an American professional ice hockey coach and is now the head coach of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He is perhaps best known for his tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning when he led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship...
, who, while working as an analyst for TSN, had previously stated that Avery was a "selfish ass" and that he had no business in the NHL, said that he was now willing to give him a second chance. On April 4 during a game against the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
Avery appeared to look up at the stands while he skated past Bruins goaltender
Tim ThomasTimothy James Thomas, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . Raised in Davison, MI, Thomas played college hockey for the University of Vermont for four years, from 1993–1997, during which he was drafted 217th overall by the...
, and he struck Thomas in the back of his helmet with his stick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ICqOVzhRQ Thomas skated after Avery and both received penalties for roughing.
On April 22, 2009, in game 4 of the playoff series against the
Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, Avery whacked
Milan JurcinaMilan Jurcina is a Slovak ice hockey defenceman currently with the New York Islanders of the NHL.- Playing career :The 6-foot-4 Slovak was drafted by the Boston Bruins 241st overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...
on an icing touch-up with his stick and fist that made Jurcina fall to the ice, bleeding. After receiving a minor on that penalty, he then high-sticked
Brian PothierBrian Pothier is an American professional ice hockey player. Pothier played in the National Hockey League from 2000 until 2010. He is currently playing in the Swiss National League for Geneve Servette.-Playing career:...
and nearly cost the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the series since the Rangers were short-handed at the end of the game while only maintaining a one goal lead. He was subsequently benched for the following game by coach Tortorella. Following the Rangers' elimination in game seven of the first-round series, Avery praised Tortorella despite the benching, saying it was the right decision and that Tortorella is the coach for whom he wants to play.
Avery missed the first four games of the 2009-10 season with a sprained knee. In one game against the Dallas Stars, his former team, Avery had one goal and three assists.
On October 4th 2011, the New York Rangers waived Avery bringing his tenure as a Ranger (at least for the time being) to a close. The decision to waive Avery comes by his diminishing offensive production and not registering any points in the 2011 pre-season, giving evidence to his lack of production. The following day, Avery cleared waivers and was assigned to New York's affiliate, the Connecticut Whale.
On October 31 2011, the Rangers placed Sean Avery on 24 hour re-entry waivers. The move was done to bring Avery up as a replacement for the injured Mike Rupp. He cleared waivers on November 1st at Noon and is expected to re-join the Rangers for their game November 5th against the Montreal Canadiens.
Style of play
Despite Avery's relatively unimposing physical stature ( and 195 lb (88.5 kg; 13.9 st)), he is considered to be one of the best (and most notorious) agitators in the NHL. Due to his unorthodox and highly confrontational style of play, Avery has made enemies in the NHL, especially among opposing star players and enforcers. In a 2007 poll of 283 NHL players, 66.4% said that Sean Avery was the most hated player in the league.
The Sean Avery rule
During an April 13, 2008 first round
playoffThe 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions...
game against the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Avery turned his back on the play in order to face and
screenIn ice hockey, a screen is when a player is obstructing the goaltender's view of the puck. The word can also be used as a verb, commonly "don't screen the goaltender", or "the goalie was screened". Screens can be both planned, as when an attacking forward positions himself in front of the net, or...
goaltender
Martin BrodeurMartin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
during a two-man advantage on the
power play"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
. He waved his hands and stick in front of Brodeur in an attempt to distract him and block his view. The puck was later cleared out of the Devils' zone but on the second Rangers offensive attack, Avery scored the power play goal. (The Rangers lost that game 4–3 in overtime but eventually won the series against the Devils.) The play-by-play announcer started marvelling at Avery’s tactics aloud:
Although screening is a common tactic used (especially on the power play), notable in this instance was that Avery had spent the initial part of the play facing Brodeur while ignoring the puck, with his back to the play (normally, the player screening the goaltender is facing the play). While it was not an explicit rules violation at the time of the game, many NHL commentators and players described Avery's actions as unsportsmanlike. The following day, the NHL issued an interpretation of the league's unsportsmanlike conduct rule to cover actions such as the one employed by Avery, which would now result in a minor penalty.
Don Cherry told Toronto radio station The Fan 590 of Avery's tactic, "I've known this kid since he was about 16 years old; Once a jerk, always a jerk. You can't blame the referee, because he couldn't believe what he was seeing."
Avery's tactics during that series against the Devils earned multiple power plays, and he had scored in each of the first three games. Avery had particularly agitated Brodeur during these games, causing Brodeur to crash into Avery on several occasions. Avery's actions goaded Brodeur into trying to draw penalties on Avery which led to poor positioning on several Rangers goals. During game two, Avery confronted Brodeur despite the play headed towards the other end, with Brodeur even leaning his head against Avery's helmet during the exchange. His controversial, yet very effective antics helped lead the Rangers to a 4-1 series win. At the end of the series, Brodeur refused to shake Avery's hand. He was the only Devils player not to.
Career statistics
| |
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Regular season |
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Playoffs |
| Season In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
|
Team |
League |
GP | G In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
| A In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
| Pts Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
| PIMA penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
|
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1996–97 The 1996–97 OHL season was the 17th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Oshawa Generals won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's...
|
Owen Sound PlatersOwen Sound Platers was a name used for a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1989 to 2000, in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. In 2000, after the team was sold, new ownership renamed the team the Owen Sound Attack.-History:...
|
OHLThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
|
58 |
10 |
21 |
31 |
86 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
| 1997–98 The 1997–98 OHL season was the 18th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Eighteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors name is re-activated when they are awarded a franchise, they would play in the...
|
Owen Sound Platers |
OHL |
47 |
13 |
41 |
54 |
105 |
11 |
1 |
11 |
12 |
23 |
| 1998–99 The 1998–99 OHL season was the 19th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Belleville Bulls won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the London Knights....
|
Owen Sound Platers |
OHL |
28 |
22 |
23 |
45 |
70 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 1998–99 |
Kingston FrontenacsThe Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The team is coached by Todd Gill and Doug Gilmour is the General Manager. The Frontenacs play home games at the K-Rock Centre, which opened in 2008.Team history predates the OHA,...
|
OHL |
33 |
14 |
25 |
39 |
88 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
13 |
| 1999–00 The 1999–2000 OHL season was the 20th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Barrie Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Plymouth Whalers.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:...
|
Kingston Frontenacs |
OHL |
55 |
28 |
56 |
84 |
215 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
26 |
| 2000–01 The 2000–01 AHL season was the 65th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns its divisions again. The Atlantic division is renamed the Canadian division. The Empire State division is replaced by the South division, with many teams shifting from the Mid-Atlantic division.Twenty...
|
Cincinnati Mighty DucksThe Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, at the Cincinnati Gardens.-History:...
|
AHLThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
|
58 |
8 |
15 |
23 |
304 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
| 2001–02 The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion...
|
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks |
AHL |
36 |
14 |
7 |
21 |
106 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2001–02 |
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
|
NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
|
36 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
68 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2002–03 |
Detroit Red Wings |
NHL |
39 |
5 |
6 |
11 |
120 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2002–03 |
Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
|
NHL |
12 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
33 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2002–03 The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season...
|
Manchester MonarchsThe Manchester Monarchs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Verizon Wireless Arena. They have been the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings since 2001.-History:...
|
AHL |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
| 2003–04 |
Los Angeles Kings |
NHL |
76 |
9 |
19 |
28 |
261 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2004–05 |
PelicansPelicans is an ice hockey team playing in the SM-liiga, and formed in 1996. They play in the city of Lahti, Finland at Isku Arena. The team is partially owned by retired NHL goaltender Pasi Nurminen.-Notable players:* Sean Avery* Jason Bonsignore...
|
SMLThe SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
|
2 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
26 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2004–05 |
Motor City Mechanics The Motor City Mechanics were a professional ice hockey team of the United Hockey League. The Mechanics played their first two seasons, from 2004–2006, at Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena in Fraser, Michigan...
|
UHL |
16 |
15 |
11 |
26 |
149 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2005–06 |
Los Angeles Kings |
NHL |
75 |
15 |
24 |
39 |
257 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2006–07 |
Los Angeles Kings |
NHL |
55 |
10 |
18 |
28 |
116 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2006–07 |
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
|
NHL |
29 |
8 |
12 |
20 |
58 |
10 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
27 |
| 2007–08 |
New York Rangers |
NHL |
57 |
15 |
18 |
33 |
154 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
2008–09The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
|
Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
|
NHL |
23 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
77 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2008–09 The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...
|
Hartford Wolf Pack The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center....
|
AHL |
8 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2008–09 |
New York Rangers |
NHL |
18 |
5 |
7 |
12 |
34 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
24 |
2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
|
New York Rangers |
NHL |
69 |
11 |
20 |
31 |
160 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2010–11 The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
|
New York Rangers |
NHL |
76 |
3 |
21 |
24 |
174 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
| OHL totals |
221 | 87 | 166 | 253 | 564 |
14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 56 |
| AHL totals |
117 | 30 | 29 | 59 | 500 |
7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 27 |
| NHL totals |
565 | 87 | 157 | 244 | 1,512 |
28 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 69 |
Transactions
- January 11, 1999 - Traded to Kingston (OHL) by Owen Sound (OHL) with Steve Lafleur for Aaron Fransen and D.J. Maracle.
- September 21, 1999 - Signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings.
- March 11, 2003 - Traded by the Detroit Red Wings, along with Maxim Kuznetsov
Maxim Romanovich Kuznetsov is a Kazakhstani former professional ice hockey player. Kuznetsov was drafted 1st by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.-Playing career:...
, Detroit's 2003 first-round draft choice and 2004 second-round draft choice, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Mathieu SchneiderMathieu Schneider is a American former professional ice hockey player. Considered an offensive defenseman, Schneider played 1289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams, scoring 233 goals and totalling 743 points...
.
- November 24, 2004 - Signed as a free agent by Lahti (Finland).
- February 11, 2005 - Signed as a free agent by Motor City (UHL).
- February 5, 2007 - Traded by the Los Angeles Kings, along with John Seymour, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Jason Ward
Jason Robert Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays with EHC Black Wings Linz in the Austrian Hockey League. He has formerly played 336 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Tampa Bay Lightning...
, Jan Marek, Marc-Andre Cliche-International:-External links:*...
and New York's 2008 third-round draft choice.
- July 2, 2008 - Signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars.
- March 3, 2009 - Claimed off re-entry waivers by the New York Rangers.
- October 11, 2011 - Sean Avery was sent down to the Connecticut Whale of the AHL.
- October 31, 2011 - Rangers placed Sean Avery on 24 hour re-entry waivers.
Personal life
Sean Avery grew up in Pickering, Ontario and attended
Dunbarton High SchoolDunbarton High School is located in Pickering, Ontario and is part of the Durham District School Board. The school has students in grades 9-12 and offers a wide range of academic and extracurricular activities. Their mascot is the Spartan. It has also obtained the use of a former public school to...
. Avery has a younger brother, Scott (born 1988) who is currently pending trial for 5 charges, all relating to a hit and run in Pickering on October 4, 2011..
Avery played a small role in the 2005 film
The RocketMaurice Richard is a French language Canadian biopic about the ice hockey player Maurice "The Rocket" Richard. It was released in English Canada as The Rocket: The Maurice Richard Story. It was released in the United States as The Rocket: The Legend of Rocket Richard and was distributed by...
, as
Bob DillRobert Edward Dill was an American professional ice hockey player. Dill played professionally in the American Hockey League alongside NHL Hall of Famer Eddie Shore in Springfield, in the United States Hockey League for the St. Paul Saints and in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers...
. His storyline in the movie was only one scene, where he showed how
Maurice RichardJoseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
became a target, not only for his hockey ability, but also because of his
francophoneThe adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
background. In the film, Avery coincidentally portrays a member of the New York Rangers, two years before actually joining the team.
He appeared in a December 2006 episode of
MADtvMADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
with Kings teammates
Tom KostopoulosThomas Kostopoulos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . Kostopoulos previously played with the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins...
and Scott Thornton. He has also been featured on episodes of
MTV CribsMTV Cribs and CMT Cribs, depending on which channel it airs, is a franchise reality television program that originated on the MTV Networks' MTV. It later aired on its CMT channel that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000...
,
Punk'dPunk'd is an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003 and was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. It bore a resemblance to both the classic hidden camera show Candid Camera and to TV's Bloopers...
and
TRLTotal Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. He was on the "Sexiest Man Alive 2007" list by
People magazineIn 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, on which
Matt DamonMatthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
was number one.
On March 29, 2008, the
New York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
reported that Avery was listed in a "little black book" seized from the computer of Kristin Davis, a
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
prostitute. Avery denied the accusation and claimed he was a victim of a practical joke, blaming his enemies for using his name. He said he and his teammates just laughed the whole thing off hysterically. Davis's attorney said that his client has "never had any contact ever" with Avery, and even claimed that there is no black book.
Warren 77
In the summer of 2009, Avery opened a sports bar,
Warren 77, named for its location in
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
at 77 Warren Street. On opening night, many figures from the hockey world were present, including
Brendan ShanahanBrendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
,
Ken DaneykoKenneth Stephen Daneyko is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman of Ukrainian origin who played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team. He has been affectionately nicknamed "Mr...
, and
Henrik LundqvistHenrik Lundqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He was nominated for the Vezina Trophy in his first three seasons in the NHL, finishing third all three times, and is the only goaltender in NHL history to record 30 wins in...
, who performed for the crowd. The décor is meant to reflect an old New York style, with
Andy WarholAndrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
originals and pictures of icons on the walls, as well as pictures of the Rangers, past and present. Matt Abramcyk, a former art dealer, and Chris Miller, co-owner of the Beatrice Hotel are co-owners of the bar.
LGBT activism
In May 2011, Avery recorded a video for the
New Yorkers for Marriage EqualityThe Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
campaign, where he stated that he is a supporter of
same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. In an interview with the
New York Times, Avery stated, “I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in
New YorkNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and when you live in
L.A.Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, you certainly have a lot of gay friends.” Avery also lobbied politicians in New York prior to the senate vote that eventually made same sex marriage in New York state legal
Legal Issues
On August 5, 2011, Avery was arrested at his home in the
Hollywood HillsThe Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
and charged with
BatteryBattery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
on a police officer. He had been receiving noise complaints due to a loud party at his home, and when a police officer arrived, he reportedly pushed the police officer. During the arrest, Avery called the cops "fat little pigs" and challenged them to a fight. After Avery posted bail in the amount of $20,000 the next morning, he had a friend ask the officers if they would allow him to go out the back door so as to avoid any waiting cameras. The
Los Angeles Police DepartmentThe Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
denied his request. On August 18, 2011, it was reported that all charges against Avery had been dropped by the Los Angeles Police Department. The officer who was allegedly pushed had actually caught his foot in the door and was never shoved.
Anti-Gay Slur
During a preseason game on September 27, 2011 against the
Philadelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Avery claimed forward
Wayne SimmondsWayne Simmonds is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
called him an anti-gay slur, though the on-ice officials near the play did not hear anything, and Simmonds denied the slur. This prompted GLAAD to call for an apology from Simmonds. "The organization also want the NHL to educate its fans about such hate speech." The league made no discipline for Simmonds due to lack of evidence and the on-line officials and players denied any proof on Avery's claim.
Fashion interests
In April 2008, it was announced that Avery would be spending the summer off-season interning at
VogueVogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
magazine. According to one fashion report "Avery is a self-confessed clotheshorse who has been known to give girlfriends advice on how to dress, and in interviews has expressed a dream to become a fashion editor after his days on the ice" He joined in a fashion partnership with friend and former director of
Calvin KleinCalvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
's celebrity services, Lauryn Flynn. In June 2008, Avery guest-edited Mensvogue.com, the website for
Men's VogueMen's Vogue was a monthly men's magazine that covered fashion, design, art, culture, sports and technology. On October 30, 2008 Condé Nast announced that they intended to fold the magazine into Vogue proper as a bi-annual subscriber's supplement...
magazine. He is also a vintage wine aficionado whose collection has been featured in an NHL.com interview. He revealed on
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
that as a child he would play with dolls that he would steal from his babysitter. His interest mainly resides with women's fashion; of men's fashion Avery has said:
"You do suits and pants and that's about that. Women's clothes tell a story. That's what's interesting to me."
Avery’s "double life" of being a professional athlete while having an interest in
fashionFashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
prompted
New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
to commission a screenplay.
In 2009, Avery worked with men's fashion label
Commonwealth UtilitiesCommonwealth Utilities is a men's fashion label based in New York City. Its name is derived from the fact that designers Anthony Keegan and Richard Christiansen are originally from the Commonwealth of Nations ....
to present a clothing line for
Fashion WeekA fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
External links