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Sean Avery

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Sean Avery
Born (1980-04-10) April 10, 1980 (age 44)
Pickering, ON
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
New York Rangers
Los Angeles Kings
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1999–present

Sean Avery (born April 10, 1980 in Pickering, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. He had formerly played for the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. Prior to the NHL, Avery played for the Owen Sound Platers and the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.

Playing career

Detroit Red Wings (1999–2003)

Avery is a relatively small player (5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) and 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)) and he was not selected in the NHL Entry Draft. In 1999, Avery was signed by the Detroit Red Wings and broke into the NHL, playing 36 games with the Red Wings during the 2001-02 season. The Red Wings went on to win the Stanley Cup that season though Avery did not partake in the playoffs. Avery did not play the required 40 games, so his name was left off the cup.

Midway through the 2002-03 season, the Los Angeles Kings traded Mathieu Schneider to the Detroit Red Wings for Avery, Maxim Kuznetsov, a first round selection (Jeff Tambellini) in 2003 and a second round selection in 2004. Sean finished the season with 15 points in 51 games.

Los Angeles Kings (2003–2007)

Avery with the Kings

In 2003-2004 Avery played 76 games for the Kings, scoring nine goals and 19 assists. Avery also led the NHL in penalty minutes with 261.

During the NHL lockout, Avery played in the Finnish SM-liiga for Pelicans. In 2 games he scored 3 goals, but then left Finland unexpectedly and returned to North America. He then played in the UHL alongside Chris Chelios, Bryan Smolinski, and Derian Hatcher for the Motor City Mechanics. He tallied 26 points in 16 games, 15 goals and 11 assists. Those 15 goals included two hat tricks, allowing Avery to become 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 2004-05 lockout, when he was quoted as saying that the management of the National Hockey League Players Association lied to its members about the lockout. [1]

Denis Gauthier of the Phoenix Coyotes bodychecked Kings forward Jeremy Roenick 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," giving way to much controversy with the French-Canadian public. [2] Avery also made news during the regular season when Georges Laraque of the Edmonton Oilers, a Black Canadian, claimed that Avery called him a "monkey" during an October 11, 2005 contest between the two teams. The incident was never proven and Avery adamantly denies it ever occurred. [3] 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 ripping into the NHL's director of hockey operations Colin Campbell. [4]

On April 7, 2006, tempers flared as Avery and Anaheim Mighty Ducks broadcaster and former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Brian Hayward had a heated discussion in the Kings dressing room. This was the result of Hayward's commentary on the April 4, 2006 Kings vs Ducks game, where he accused Avery of avoiding a fight with the Ducks' forward (and large enforcer, about 50 pounds heavier than Avery) 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." [5]

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. [6]

On July 24, 2006 the Los Angeles Kings signed Avery to a $1.1 million, one-year contract. Avery was a restricted free agent, so the Kings avoided going into salary arbitration by signing him to a deal. [7]

New York Rangers (2007–present)

Avery with the Rangers

On February 5, 2007 the Kings traded Avery to the New York Rangers along with John Seymour for Jason Ward, Jan Marek and Marc-Andre Cliche.[8] Avery recorded a career-high four points in a game against the Boston Bruins on March 17, 2007. He notched one goal and added three assists to help the Rangers beat the Bruins 7-0.[9] Avery later played in his first career playoff game on April 12, 2007, against the Atlanta Thrashers. He recorded his first playoff points with a goal and an assist in the series against the Thrashers.

Because of his style of play, Avery has made many enemies in the NHL. In a 2007 poll of 283 NHL players, 66.4% said that Sean Avery was the most hated player in the league.[10] Many consider him a pest. He is a very physical player, and while some would say that he is too small to be considered an enforcer, he has acted like one on many occasions, to a certain extent. He considers himself a fiercely loyal player, but has drawn criticism for his aggressive style and excessive penalties, however he cut down on penalty minutes by about 65% in 06-07 compared to seasons past.

On August 1, 2007, Avery, as a restricted free agent, earned an arbitration 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.[11]

Colin Campbell and the NHL fined Avery, Tucker, the Rangers, and the Maple Leafs for pre-game actions during warmups before their November 10 meeting.[12] 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,[13] and served CJCL with a notice of libel.[14] On December 3, the radio station retracted on air its allegations made about Avery.[15]

On November 29, 2007, Avery had arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist and did not return to the ice until the game against the Senators on December 23.

When Avery scored his seventh goal of the season ten seconds into the game on February 16, 2008, he set a record for fastest goal scored by a Ranger at home.[16]

Avery has five career Gordie Howe hat tricks.

Career Statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1996-97 Owen Sound Platers OHL 58 10 21 31 86 4 1 0 1 4
1997-98 Owen Sound Platers OHL 47 13 41 54 105 11 1 11 12 23
1998-99 Owen Sound Platers OHL 28 22 23 45 70
1998-99 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 33 14 25 39 88 5 1 3 4 13
1999-00 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 55 28 56 84 215 5 2 2 4 26
2000-01 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 58 8 15 23 304 4 1 0 1 19
2001-02 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 36 14 7 21 106 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Detroit Red Wings NHL 36 2 2 4 68 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Detroit Red Wings NHL 39 5 6 11 120 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Los Angeles Kings NHL 12 1 3 4 33 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Los Angeles Kings NHL 76 9 19 28 261 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Pelicans SM-liiga 2 3 0 3 26 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Motor City Mechanics 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 Rangers NHL 29 8 12 20 58 10 1 4 5 27
NHL Totals 322 50 84 134 913 10 1 4 5 27

Off the ice

Sean Avery played a small role in the movie "The Rocket" (2005), as Bob Dill. His storyline in the movie was only one scene, and it was to show how Maurice Richard became a target, not only due to his ability to play great hockey, but also due to him being francophone.[17] In the film, Avery coincidentally portrays a member of the New York Rangers, two years before actually joining the team.

Avery appeared in a December 2006 episode of MADtv with Los Angeles Kings teammates Tom Kostopoulos and Scott Thornton.

He has been linked romantically to Rachel Hunter but they ended their year-long relationship in June 2005. [18] He dated Elisha Cuthbert until she broke up with him in August 2007.

Sean Avery can be seen in the episode of "Punk'd" when Elisha Cuthbert gets punk'd. He has also been featured on an episode of MTV Cribs. He can also be seen in an episode of TRL.

Sean Avery is a vintage wine afficionado whose collection has been featured in an NHL.com interview.

Sean Avery was on the "Sexiest man alive 2007" list by People magazine, which Matt Damon ended up winning. [19]

On March 29, 2008 Sean Avery was accused of being involved with the prostitute Kristin Davis, who was arrested earlier in the week and claimed that former NY governor Eliot Spitzer was also one of her clients. Sean Avery was said to be in her "little black book" of approximately 2,000 contacts which had his name and private number.[20] Avery denied the accusation and claimed he was a victim of a practical joke, blaming his enemies for using his name. [21] He said him and his teammates just laughed the whole thing off hysterically. The attorney of Madam Kristin Davis said that his client has "never had any contact ever" with Sean Avery, and even claimed that there is no black book. [22]

References

  1. ^ "Top brass not at NHL bargaining table".
  2. ^ "Kings' Avery sounds off on French NHLers".
  3. ^ "Avery says Laraque made up racial slur".
  4. ^ Foster, Chris. "League Fines Avery for His Comments After First Fine".
  5. ^ "Avery confronts NHL broadcaster Hayward".
  6. ^ "Report: Kings part ways with Sean Avery".
  7. ^ Matsuda, Gann. "Kings Sign Avery To One-Year Contract".
  8. ^ "Kings deal Avery to Rangers".
  9. ^ "Rangers 7, Bruins 0".
  10. ^ "The Hockey News player poll results".
  11. ^ Zipay, Steve. "Rangers accept Avery's $1.9M arbitration award".
  12. ^ NHL.com. "NHL fines Rangers, Maple Leafs, Avery, Tucker".
  13. ^ The Sports Network. "Avery denies making comments to Blake".
  14. ^ Brroks, Larry (2007-11-13). "Avery: I Was Libeled". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-12-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Toronto radio station retracts claim Avery made cancer-related remarks". Associated Press. 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-12-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Podell, Ira (2008-02-16). "NY Rangers 5, Buffalo 1". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
  17. ^ "Maurice Richard".
  18. ^ Ford, Fiona. "At least the smile hasn't drooped".
  19. ^ People.com. "Sexiest Man Alive 2007".
  20. ^ Connor, Tracy. Martinez, Jose. "Sean Avery in hooker's black book".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ JOHN DELLAPINA and CARRIE MELAGO. "Sean Avery is no lonely Ranger: Laughs off link to madam's black book".
  22. ^ Staple, Aruthur. "Lawyer: Client never had contact with Avery".

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