"The NHL will be under the gun to take action against Wayne Simmonds following an early first-period incident in a preseason game here last night in which the Flyers' winger appears to have called Sean Avery a homophobic epithet.

Avery confirmed after the match that he was called the ugly slur by Simmonds following a scrum in which the Rangers' winger punched the Flyer in the face while both were down on the ice.

Though Simmonds implied Avery had provoked him through words of his own, the Flyer did not deny the charge, stating repeatedly that he could not remember exactly what words were exchanged early in Philadelphia's 4-3 victory.

A year ago, then Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski was suspended for two games after repeatedly making gestures imitating oral sex toward Avery during a game at the Coliseum on Oct. 11."