Stars' Avery suspended indefinitely by NHL

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Stars' Avery suspended indefinitely by NHL

Sean Avery was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Tuesday, hours after the Dallas Stars forward made a crude reference to former girlfriends while talking with reporters.


Avery's inflammatory comments came following a morning skate in Calgary, Alberta, where the Stars were to play the Flames on Tuesday night. Reporters were waiting to speak with him about disparaging remarks he'd made last month about Flames star Jarome Iginla when Avery walked over to the group and asked if there was a camera present. When told there was, he said, "I'm just going to say one thing."


"I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada," he said. "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight." He then walked out of the locker room.

Avery's ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert of the television show "24" and the movie "Old School," is dating Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf; she had been romantically linked to Mike Komisarek of the Montreal Canadiens. Avery also dated Rachel Hunter, the former Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model and actress who is now the girlfriend of Los Angeles Kings center Jarrett Stoll.

Shortly before Tuesday night's game, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the punishment, saying Avery made "inappropriate public comments, not pertaining to the game."

Avery will meet with Bettman before his punishment is settled. That get-together is likely to happen soon.

"I completely support the league's decision to suspend Sean Avery," Stars owner Tom Hicks said in a statement. "Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so."

Avery is a noted "pest," the kind of player who delights in doing or saying something to get under the skin of opponents and their fans. He's led the league in penalty minutes twice, and was doing so again going into Tuesday. He relishes being called the most hated player in the NHL.

His most infamous tactic came during last season's playoffs, while with the New York Rangers. Avery stood in front of New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur and blocked his view by waving his hand and stick in the goalie's face. The next day, the league put in the so-called "Avery Rule" to prohibit such shenanigans.
Avery got a measure of revenge by scoring three goals in the series victory. But he lacerated his spleen in the following round against Pittsburgh, requiring a stay in intensive care and ending his stint with the Rangers. READ MORE
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What do you think of the comment made by Avery?

Should he have been suspended by the NHL?

With Avery, sure there have been a number of 'issues' that have surrounded him over the last few years, most of them on the ice but, making 'under their skin' statements like this and making similar plays on the ice is his 'schtick', he's an agitator, he's on his best game when he's taking you off of yours by getting inside your head and forcing you to make mistakes, that's what he does.

The shot that he took with the boneheaded comments of late we aimed at Dion Phaneuf, a star player for Calgary who they (the Stars) were playing yesterday, it was no doubt aimed at knocking him off his game by causing him to focus on Avery. It's just a tactic, lots of people use tactics, sometimes they have consequences such as in this case.

It doesn't really make a difference to me either way with the suspension, it's his bed and he'll get it figured it figured out when he sits down with Commissioner Bettman. At best it's probably a 2 to 3 game suspension, and that's because of the logistics invloved with getting Avery back to New York for the meeting and then back to wherever the Stars are playing afterward.