Love him or hate him, everyone in the hockey world, and almost everyone in the rest of the world, knows about Sean Avery. The controversial player has been making headlines for years, ever since his NHL debut in 2001 with the Detroit Red Wings. He played 36 games for the Red Wings that season, who ultimately went on to win the cup, but wasn't included in the playoffs. He later played for the Los Angeles Kings where several choice comments by him caused a lot of publicity, especially a 2005 comment about French players in the NHL which angered people in his native Ontario. He left the Kings to help the Rangers get to the playoffs in the 2007-2008 season but was out twice due to injuries. He did however manage to set the record for fastest goal on home ice for the Rangers, by scoring 10 seconds into a game against the Buffalo Sabers. Avery then signed a 4 year contract with the Dallas Stars in 2008, but quit prematurely because the S tars claimed he did not fit into the general mechanic of the team and played sluggishly. Avery came back to the Rangers for the 2009 season and continues to play for them even know.
Below: A highlight of Avery's choicest moments throughout his career
Avery favors a very show-off style of play. He knows he's good and he loves showing it off. And it seems New York is the only city that is grandiose enough to contain him. He may have as many penalties and on-ice skirmishes as before, but then again the Rangers aren't known for being a soft team. At least it seems this time he can keep his mouth shut and save his organization a lot of trouble.
One thing that can definitely be said about Avery is that he has changed the face of the game with the now infamous "Avery Rule". During the April playoffs against the Devils he would use his stick and hands to screen Jersey's goalie Brodeur.
While this isn't an exact breach of game rules the fact that Avery stopped focusing on the puck and went straight to distracting the goalie was said to be very un-sportsman like by many referees and fans. So on April 14, 2008 the NHL referee committee changed un-sportsman like conduct to include Avery's tactics and saying it would result in a minor penalty to the player. This was greeted by approval from players and fans alike though it must be said the Avery tactic was successful during the time that he did use it. The tactics earned the Avery multiple power plays and he scored at least one goal in each of the first three games of the playoffs.
So, whether Avery is just an innovative played or an "Evil Genius" as someof of his detractors have christened him no one can deny his genius. He also brings a certain celebrity style to the game and tends to draw people into it more. His trickery and fashion sense seem to attract more casual people that view Hockey with less interest then dedicated fans. Whether keeping Avery around just to draw views is a whole other matter, but at least he is a good player that does deliver goals. So regardless of whether he's a good force or a bad force in Hockey, one this is certain Avery is around to stay.
Enjoy Sean Avery showing of his "dancing" skills!
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