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Sean Avery News & Rumors

Ex-Ranger Avery calls it quits
March 14
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery is about to become a Mad Man. Officially, that is. The one-time Rangers' winger told The Post exclusively Tuesday that he will embark on his post-hockey career next month with an advertising agency that has a venture capital wing after first alluding to retirement Monday night on the online "After Show" of Bravo TV's "Watch What Happens Live." "No, that wasn't a joke, yes, I'm retiring at the end of the season, and it's OK," Avery, who will turn 32 next month, told The Post. "I guess [Monday night] was my retirement press conference." Avery, who became the people's choice while wearing the Blueshirt, is completing the four-year, $15.5 million contract he signed with Dallas in"
Rangers' Avery says TV retirement was serious
March 13
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery is about to become a Mad Man. Officially, that is. The one-time Rangers winger told The Post on Tuesday morning he will embark on his post-hockey career next month with an advertising agency that has a venture capital wing after announcing his retirement Monday night on the online "After Show" of Bravo TV's "Watch What Happens Live." "I am officially retired," Avery said on the show. "I threw my skates in the Hudson [River]." Tuesday morning, Avery told The Post, "No, that wasn't a joke; yes I'm retiring at the end of the season, and it's OK. "I guess that was my retirement press conference.""
Rangers could put Avery on waivers so he can play in NHL
February 25
New York Post
 
"The Rangers are discussing the possibility of placing Sean Avery on re-entry waivers at noon Saturday, the deadline for doing so, in order for the exiled winger to play again in the NHL this season, The Post has learned. According to NHL By-laws 12 and 28, players claimed on re-entry following the trade deadline are not eligible to play in either the remainder of the regular season or in the playoffs. With the NHL trade deadline Monday at 3 p.m., and the weekend waiver period lasting for 48 hours, the Rangers would thus have to make their decision regarding Avery no later than Saturday morning so he would be eligible for claim by noon Monday. If Avery is claimed on re-entry, the Rangers"
Sather keeps Avery in limbo
January 12
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery will remain a member of the AHL Whale for the time being despite the fact the Rangers have been asked by a NHL club to place the exiled winger on re-entry waivers, The Post has learned. Sources have told The Post general manager Glen Sather rejected that request, instead offering to trade Avery in a minor-league deal under which the Rangers would take back additional dollars but the responsibility for placing Avery on re-entry would then pass to the acquiring club that also would then bear the burden of carrying dead cap space upon a claim."
No NHL team claims Avery, could head to Russia
January 1
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery's NHL career is likely at an end after the 31-year-old winger passed through waivers yesterday for the third time since the beginning of October. Avery, who recorded three goals with a plus-two rating while getting minimal ice time in 15 games for the Rangers between Nov. 5 and Dec. 10 after his recall from the AHL Whale and before being scratched from nine straight games prior to being placed on waivers on Friday, is awaiting reassignment to the Rangers farm club in Connecticut."
Avery vows to play again after waived by Rangers
December 31
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery, placed on waivers by the Rangers at noon Friday, told The Post this afternoon that he "guarantee[s]" that a club claiming him "won't ever be sorry." "I have a lot to prove, and I have a lot of game left after not being allowed to play my game for the last four years," Avery told The Post before returning to New York from Florida, where he was given notice of the move this morning. "I guarantee that I'll play my a-- off and give everything I have for the team that will give me the chance I wasn't getting [by coach John Tortorella]. That team will be getting a guy who has a lot to prove. "The GM and coach willing to look past some of the things that are out there about me, I can"
Avery left watching Rangers slide
December 17
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery has given up trying to figure out when he will play again for the Rangers, but he admits sitting while the team played two of its ugliest games of the season the past five days has been particularly difficult. "It's definitely more frustrating," Avery told The Post after practice yesterday in St. Louis before the team flew West for tonight's game against the Coyotes. "I know I can help." But he also knows there is not much he can do about it. Avery said he had not talked to coach John Tortorella after being a healthy scratch the past two games — physical losses in which Avery's rugged style may have benefited the Rangers. "It's not easy, but it's part of the job have and you"
Avery scratched in favor of Christensen
December 12
New York Post
 
"The effective difference is that Sean Avery was scratched for last night's entire Rangers-Panthers match at the Garden instead of just for the third period, as he had been by coach John Tortorella for most of the previous six games. Avery had averaged just 5:44 overall over his last half-dozen games, during which he got a sum of 10 third-period shifts and had been on the ice just one time in the final 11:20 of any match over the course of that stretch. He was replaced by Erik Christensen, who had been a healthy scratch for eight straight before getting a season-high 12:54 in the 6-1 blowout victory in which he registered a power-play assist by banging a shot off the post while working on"
Avery set to make Rangers' return tonight
November 5
New York Post
 
"So Mike Rupp's aching left knee will require an arthroscopy next week and Wojtek Wolski's recurring groin problem required an MRI yesterday afternoon, both these bits of news combining to mean coach John Tortorella will be required to dress Sean Avery for tonight's Garden match against the Canadiens. Make no mistake. This is not Vic Hadfield rejoining the lineup. Indeed, Avery is advised to make very few mistakes if he wishes his stay in New York to be more than a temporary one until the Rangers can locate, uh, better players to take his place. But depending on how and where Avery is used, which would seem connected to whether the Blueshirts promote a skill forward from the AHL Whale (Mats"
Avery won't play in Rangers' next game
November 3
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery returned from exile to his first practice back with the Rangers on Wednesday, but he will not be making his season debut in their next game. Citing the team's stellar play in Monday's 5-2 win over San Jose and Avery's limited time on the ice over the past few days, having cleared re-entry waivers on Tuesday, coach John Tortorella said he will be using the same lineup from Monday in Thursday's game against Anaheim at Madison Square Garden. As much as Avery wants to play, he said he couldn't argue with the logic."
Avery clears waivers, heading back to Rangers
November 1
New York Post
 
"The stage is set for Sean Avery's return to the Rangers after the winger this afternoon cleared re-entry waivers. John Tortorella on Monday endorsed the Rangers' move to reinstate Avery, the coach saying before last night's 5-2 Garden victory over the Sharks, "It's the right decision." After the game, Tortorella would not guarantee Avery a spot in the lineup Thursday against the Ducks, saying, "I don't know what the lineup is going to be next game … I'm going to force-feed anything." Avery was officially sent down to Connecticut on Oct. 5 while the Rangers were in Europe."
Torts endorses Avery's return
November 1
New York Post
 
"John Tortorella yesterday endorsed the Rangers' move to reinstate Sean Avery, the coach stating before last night's 5-2 Garden victory over the Sharks, "It's the right decision." Of course after the game, Tortorella would not guarantee Avery a spot in the lineup Thursday against the Ducks even if he is on the roster, saying, "I don't know what the lineup is going to be next game . . . I'm going to force-feed anything." Tortorella confirmed that the decision to recall Avery -- or at least to make the effort -- was tied to Mike Rupp's ailing left knee that seems likely to sideline the winger for an indefinite period."
Isles may block Avery return
November 1
New York Post
 
"The stage is set for Sean Avery's return to the Rangers this afternoon via re-entry, but The Post has been told Islanders' general manager Garth Snow has been coy concerning the possibility of claiming the winger on waivers."
Rangers hope to have Avery back Thursday
October 31
NHL.com
 
"Sean Avery could be back with the Rangers in time for Thursday's home game against the Anaheim Ducks, and coach John Tortorella can't wait to have him. The Rangers put Avery on re-entry waivers Monday at noon, less than a month after he was banished to the Connecticut Whale of the AHL before the season. Avery will stay on waivers for 24 hours, giving every team in the League a chance to claim him. If he goes unclaimed, he'll replace the injured Michael Rupp, whose long-term health is in question due to a nagging knee injury, on the Rangers' fourth line. "Rupper has a lot to do with this. We're concerned about that," Tortorella said. "This is the right decision. It's the right hockey"
Rangers to recall Avery
October 31
New York Post
 
"The Rangers are bringing back Sean Avery. Because nine games deep into a season in which the Rangers have won three times (3-3-3) while unable to reproduce the Black-and-Blueshirt identity that defined last season, management has decided to commute Avery's sentence and bring him out of AHL exile. Unless something unforeseen develops, Avery, who was assigned to the AHL Whale after clearing waivers on Oct. 5, will be placed on re-entry waivers at noon Monday that expire at noon Tuesday."
Avery says path back to NHL isn't with Rangers
October 22
New York Post
 
"Former Rangers forward Sean Avery said Wednesday he does not expect to be recalled by the team and said thinking about a return to the NHL "is like someone trying to win the lottery." Avery reported to the AHL's Connecticut Whale and practiced with them on Wednesday. He told ESPN.com he did not get a fair chance to stay with the Rangers during the preseason. "I'd say it's pretty obvious," Avery said. "I'll let everyone else decide for themselves." The forward also said, "I can still play in the NHL. There's no question about that." The noted agitator was assigned to Hartford after clearing waivers on Oct. 5, freeing up $1.93 million from the Ranger's salary cap."
Avery says path back to NHL isn't with Rangers
October 20
New York Post
 
"Former Rangers forward Sean Avery said Wednesday he does not expect to be recalled by the team and said thinking about a return to the NHL "is like someone trying to win the lottery." Avery reported to the AHL's Connecticut Whale and practiced with them on Wednesday. He told ESPN.com he did not get a fair chance to stay with the Rangers during the preseason. "I'd say it's pretty obvious," Avery said. "I'll let everyone else decide for themselves." The forward also said, "I can still play in the NHL. There's no question about that.""
Shoulder big worry for Rangers' Avery
October 12
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery reported to the AHL Whale yesterday as directed by the Rangers, but it's unclear when the winger will be able to practice, let alone play, as he is receiving treatment for a right shoulder issue. Avery, who has not skated since playing in his third and final preseason game with the Blueshirts in Gothenberg, Sweden, on Sept. 30, underwent an MRI exam upon his return to New York from Stockholm on Oct. 5 after clearing waivers a day earlier, The Post has learned. The MRI exam revealed no structural damage. If the shoulder does not respond to treatment, Avery might require a cortisone injection that would further delay his return to the ice."
Avery reports to Rangers' AHL team
October 12
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery has reported to the Connecticut Whale, the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate. The 31-year-old winger, who was placed on waivers by the Rangers last Wednesday, two days before they opened their season in Stockholm, cleared waivers the next day and was directed by the Rangers to report to Hartford on Tuesday."
GM says Avery could return to Rangers from AHL
October 6
New York Post
 
"Perhaps Glen Sather might want to check with his coach on this one, but the general manager told The Post on Wednesday that Sean Avery could play his way back to the Rangers from the AHL Whale after the exiled winger landed there after clearing NHL waivers. "Of course we could recall him if he's in Hartford and earns that," Sather said as the Rangers skated on an NHL-sized rink for the first time in nine days. "You never know; somebody could play his way off this team. "I think Sean has been a good player for us but you have to get the perspective from the coaches on that.""
Coach never gave Avery shot to stick
October 5
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"Sean Avery never had a chance, never was given a chance to make this year's Rangers, so what in the world was the organization doing dragging him around Europe for a week before delivering the news on the flight here yesterday from Switzerland that his run on Broadway had come to an end? "That's not for me to say," coach John Tortorella said at the team hotel last night in explaining the decision to place the 31-year-old winger on waivers he surely will clear at noon today. "I don't want to play GM here." Fair enough, but it was surely on Tortorella's say that Avery never got a sniff throughout a camp during which he skated with minor leaguers. It was almost humorous to hear the coach say,"
Rangers waive Avery
October 4
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery's often-tumultuous Broadway run has come to an end. For a second and last time. The Rangers have placed Avery on waivers following a training camp in which he was given no chance by coach John Tortorella to retain or earn a job with the club. The 31-year-old winger, who skated with minor league linemates throughout, got limited ice time in three exhibition games. Tortorella obviously had decided long ago that Avery's personality does not fit with the coach's vision of what he wants his team to be about."
Simmonds won't be disciplined for alleged slur against Avery
September 28
New York Post
 
"After a couple of phone calls yesterday, Colin Campbell decided he didn't have enough evidence to take any disciplinary action against Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds allegedly called Rangers left wing Sean Avery a homophobic slur during their game on Monday night. But Campbell, the NHL's vice president of Hockey Operations, talked to Simmonds, who denied the claim, as well as the on-ice officials who were not able to corroborate Avery's account of the incident. "Since there are conflicting accounts of what transpired on the ice, we have been unable to substantiate with the necessary degree of certainty what was said and by whom," Campbell said in a statement. "To the extent we"
Avery accuses Simmonds of slur
September 27
CSN Philly
 
"This time, Wayne Simmonds finds himself on the other side of the fence. Last week in London, Ont., a fan threw a banana at the Flyers forward, an obvious racial gesture to Simmonds being a black Canadian hockey player. On Monday night during the Flyers' 5-3 preseason win over the Rangers, Simmonds was sucker-punched by Sean Avery in the first period and the two exchanged words. Avery told reporters after the game that Simmonds threw a slur at him. Asked if the slur was homophobic, Avery said, 'Yes,' it was. Neither Flyers coach Peter Laviolette nor general manager Paul Holmgren were aware of what was said by either player."
Avery: Fighting Flyer took homophobic shot at me
September 27
New York Post
 
"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"
Sean Avery won't face charges over alleged cop shove; officer tripped while entering Ranger's house
August 19
New York Daily News
 
"Sean Avery will not face charges for an incident earlier this month at his house in Hollywood in which he had been accused of shoving an LAPD officer . Early on the morning of August 5, Avery was taken to jail in Los Angeles , spending more than five hours in custody before being released on $20,000 bail. A court date of Sept. 2 was set for Avery to answer a charge of battery on a peace officer. Thursday, TMZ - which initially reported Avery's arrest - wrote that not only will the Rangers winger not be prosecuted, there never was a shove. The star-tracking website said that the allegedly-pushed cop actually caught his foot in the door of Avery's house when he showed up to follow up on"
Sean Avery will not face charges in L.A.
August 18
New York Daily News
 
"Sean Avery will not face charges for an incident earlier this month at his house in Hollywood in which he had been accused of shoving an LAPD officer. Early on the morning of August 5, Avery was taken to jail in Los Angeles, spending more than five hours in custody before being released on $20,000 bail. A court date of Sept. 2 was set for Avery to answer a charge of battery on a peace officer. Today, TMZ – which initially reported Avery's arrest – wrote that not only will the Rangers winger not be prosecuted, there never was a shove. The star-tracking website said that the allegedly-pushed cop actually caught his foot in the door of Avery's house when he showed up to follow up on a"
Sean Avery Off the Hook In Police Battery Case
August 18
TMZ.com
 
"NHL star Sean Avery just caught a fast break in his police battery case -- because we're told, he won't face any charges after his recent arrest ... for allegedly shoving a cop. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, "No criminal charges of any kind will be filed against Sean Avery stemming from his August 5 arrest for battery on a police officer." As TMZ first reported, cops showed up to Sean's Hollywood Hills home in response to a noise complaint -- and when Avery answered the door ... he allegedly shoved an officer and closed the door. But according to law enforcement sources, a further investigation revealed that no officer was ever actually pushed."
Confrontation with police can't end well for Rangers' Avery
August 17
New York Post
 columnist: Larry Brooks
"It is one thing to be charged with a crime and quite another to be guilty of it, but this much is clear: Sean Avery most certainly did not need Laurel Canyon on Friday night, whatever it was that actually occurred when the police came knocking on his door. This isn't about Avery's standing on the Rangers, which is no more or less tenuous now than it has been throughout the offseason, and this isn't even about Avery's standing within the NHL, a league that historically has differentiated between conduct in and out of the arena when it comes to crime and punishment. But being arrested for battery on a police officer, even if the charge is dismissed along the way, does not help Avery be taken"
This can't end well for Avery
August 7
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"It is one thing to be charged with a crime and quite another to be guilty of it, but this much is clear: Sean Avery most certainly did not need Laurel Canyon on Friday night, whatever it was that actually occurred when the police came knocking on his door. This isn't about Avery's standing on the Rangers, which is no more or less tenuous now than it has been throughout the offseason, and this isn't even about Avery's standing within the NHL, a league that historically has differentiated between conduct in and out of the arena when it comes to crime and punishment. But being arrested for battery on a police officer, even if the charge is dismissed along the way, does not help Avery be taken"
Avery in trouble again
August 6
Calgary Sun
 
"Sean Avery can be happy about one thing regarding his recent arrest. Well, other than the fact the New York Rangers forward — and one of the NHL's biggest attention whores — put himself front and centre again. According the TMZ.com, which broke the story Avery had been arrested at his Hollywood Hills home late Thursday night after shoving a police officer and calling cops "fat little pigs", Avery is an NHL "star." A star?!? That's about the only part of the latest quagmire surrounding Avery that's hard to fathom. Everything else is easy to believe. Far too easy. The fact Avery hosted a party which became too loud for the neighbours should come as no surprise. This is a player who Chris"
Rangers' Avery busted in LA cop fight
August 6
New York Post
 
"Big-mouth Ranger Sean Avery was arrested yesterday for shoving a police officer, calling cops "fat little pigs" and challenging them to a brawl as they shut down a loud party at the hunky hockey player's LA home. The anger-prone Avery's antics -- which reportedly included slamming a door in cops' faces when they arrived -- have landed him in hot water with the Rangers, who plan to speak with the winger about this latest wig-out. "I'm all right, I'm good," a relaxed, smiling Avery, 31, told The Post at his Spanish bungalow in the West Hollywood hills after posting $20,000 bond on the battery charge. "It'll all work out at some point," predicted Avery, whose on- and off-ice antagonism toward"
Sean Avery, the controversial winger of the New York Rangers, arrested for shoving a Los Angeles cop
August 6
New York Daily News
 
"Sean Avery was arrested early Friday in Los Angeles , accused of battery of a peace officer, continuing what has been a busy and increasingly tumultuous offseason for the Rangers winger. According to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department , at 12:30 a.m., the LAPD responded to a noise complaint stemming from a party at Avery's house in the Hollywood Hills . Avery came to the door and allegedly shoved the officer, slamming the door. Upon reopening the door, Avery was arrested and taken to be booked. He spent more than five hours in custody before posting $20,000 bail. He did not respond to questions from a TMZ cameraman as he got into the backseat of a black coupe and headed home."
Rangers' Sean Avery Arrested in California
August 6
NBC Sports
 
"New York Ranger Sean Avery was arrested and charged with battery on a police office earlier Friday, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman. Avery was having a party at his home in the Hollywood Hills a little after midnight, according to police. It was the second time officers had come to the residence after getting complaints of loud music. When officers came to the house, Avery argued with police and attempted to go back inside his house, pushing an officer out of the way. Avery then slammed the door and refused to come out. Officers continued to talk to the 31-year-old, asking him to come out, but he refused and additional officers were called to the location. Avery"
Avery arrested after cop altercation: report
August 5
CBC Sports
 
"Sean Avery of the New York Rangers was arrested early Friday morning after an incident at his home in Los Angeles, the website TMZ.com is reporting. According to the report, police were responding to a noise complaint at Avery's Hollywood Hills address when the player shoved an officer and slammed the door on the police. Avery reportedly co-operated after the initial brushoff and was subsequently booked for battery on a peace officer and is being held on $20,000 US bail. The noise was coming from a party being held at the home, according to the report. Avery, 31, has become one of the most polarizing players in NHL history in recent years. He participated in a league-mandated counselling"
Sean Avery, Alex Frolov and racial slurs lost in translation
August 2
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Sean Avery's transformation into the poster boy for cultural tolerance was jarring to some fans with long memories, because it was a scant six years ago that Georges Laraque of the Edmonton Oilers accused him of deplorable intolerance. Laraque said that the then-Los Angeles Kings agitator called him "a monkey," a claim which Avery dismissed as a fabrication. This followed another informal audition for a United Nations ambassadorship by Avery in which he called Denis Gauthier's check that concussed Jeremy Roenick in the preseason "typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on." (Still wonder how Luc Robitaille felt about that one.) Alex Frolov was Avery's teammate in Los Angeles"
Avery wants NHL to be 'progressive'
June 28
New York Post
 
"Now that Sean Avery has played his part in New York State's passage and adoption of the Marriage Equality Act that grants the same rights to all married couples regardless of sexual orientation, the Rangers winger would like the NHL to become involved in issues of social justice, beginning with this one. "I understand that the NHL represents 30 different owners who come from different backgrounds and hold different viewpoints, but I think it would be meaningful for Gary [commissioner Bettman] and the Board of Governors to open themselves up for conversation about this issue," Avery told The Post yesterday. Avery both appeared in a public service announcement in support of the bill and went"
Hockey honchos have Avery's back
May 15
New York Post
 columnis Larry Brooks
"It should have been no surprise that Sean Avery had the courage of his convictions to endorse legalization of same-sex marriage in New York in the video he recorded for New Yorkers for Marriage Equality. "No one who knows me was the least bit surprised," Avery said during a phone conversation on Friday. "My friends, the people who I spend time with, I'm honest with them. They know what's up. "They know my beliefs." It's been an interesting week for Avery, who has received near universal public support, much of it accompanied by the predictable qualifier somewhere along the lines of, "I can't believe I agree with Sean Avery on anything, but. . . ." "The focus shouldn't be on me, it should"
Something to like about Sean Avery
May 15
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Gene Collier
"So it was just a month ago today we celebrated the 64th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier, and now behold another societal superhero who shall lead us again from our accustomed ignorance toward a new enlightenment. Ladies and gentlemen, Sean Avery. Whoa whoa whoa. Accelerating 21st century cultural evolution is suddenly a job for the most hated man in ice hockey? Or is that still Matt Cooke -- I haven't seen the rankings this week. Sean Avery, the same subcutaneous agitator who got himself shipped out of Dallas for spewing sexual vulgarisms about a former girlfriend? That Sean Avery? The Sean Avery who gave us the Sean Avery rule, the one that says you can't"
Fired Sportsnet host Damian Goddard 'stands by' tweets
May 12
Toronto Star
 
"After a spate of tweets in support of a hockey agent's stand against gay marriage, Rogers Sportsnet moved Wednesday to fire on-air host Damian Goddard. Sportsnet suggested in a release that their problems with Goddard did not start with his decision to share his political views online. "Mr. Goddard was a freelance contractor and in recent weeks it had become clear that he is not the right fit for our organization," the sports broadcaster's communications director, Dave Rashford, said in a short statement."
Sean Avery's stance on gay marriage should be commended
May 11
New York Daily News
 columnist Filip Bondy
"Sean Avery isn't exactly someone you'd expect to utter a politically correct, enlightened statement on gay marriage. He's stuck his skate boot in his mouth more than a few times in the past, and once was suspended six games for saying something truly nasty about a former girlfriend. But you know what? When somebody does the right thing, he deserves a pat on the back of the jersey. And even though the Garden didn't back him up with a supportive statement, leaving Avery out there on his own, the fact that a hockey brawler would appear on a video in support of gay nuptials is a breakthrough of sorts. "It shows you can't judge a book by its cover," said Cyd Ziegler, president of Outsports.com,"
Criticism of Sean Avery's stand for gay marriage generates more support for Ranger's message
May 11
New York Daily News
 
"The idea that Sean Avery has an unusual personality for a professional athlete is nothing new. Famous for once spending a summer as an intern at Vogue, infamous for the crude comments about ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert that got him run out of Dallas and traded back to New York, the Rangers winger long has been known for being anything but the typical jock. That image was further reinforced over the weekend when Avery became the first New York professional athlete to endorse same-sex marriage, releasing a video for the Human Rights Campaign's New Yorkers for Marriage Equality drive. While Avery's stand drew a series of critical tweets on Monday night from hockey agent Todd Reynolds -"
Agent criticizes Sean Avery's same-sex marriage stance
May 10
USA Today
 
"Last weekend, New York Rangers star Sean Avery showed his support for same-sex marriage. It didn't take long for someone to criticize him for his beliefs. Todd Reynolds, vice-president of Uptown Hockey, a management group, tweeted that it was "very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender "marriage". Legal or not, it will always be wrong." Reynolds would tweet twice more."
Avery backing gay marriage seems only natural
May 10
Toronto Star
 columnist Cathal Kelly
"When social historians chart the final breakthroughs of the gay rights movement into the most resistant corners of mainstream culture, this will be one of them. An athlete playing in one of the four major team sports not only endorsing a person's right to live however they wish, but making a political stand on the issue. By celebrity standards, New York Ranger Sean Avery has been a steady advocate for gay causes. By professional sports standards, he's standing on a soapbox with a bullhorn and waving his arms."
Player agent criticizes Avery for stance on marriage
May 10
TSN.ca
 
"An agency representing several NHL players has publicly called out New York Rangers forward Sean Avery for supporting same-sex marriage. In a series of messages put out on Twitter on Monday, Burlington, Ontario-based Uptown Sports Management criticized Avery after he recorded a video supporting the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign."
In rarity, a player speaks out for gay rights
May 8
New York Times
 
"Since September, advocates for same-sex marriage in New York have released 30-second videos of celebrities endorsing their cause. More than 30 have taken part, including the actors Julianne Moore and Sam Waterston, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the former first daughter Barbara Bush. On Thursday, former President Bill Clinton released a written statement of support, too. Until now, supporters have come mostly from the worlds of politics, entertainment, theater and fashion. One type of New York celebrity was conspicuously absent: the athlete. Enter Rangers forward Sean Avery."
Sean Avery says Brooks Laich bit him
April 24
Washington Post
 
"In the final minute of the Caps' series-clinching win over the Rangers, New York finally scored. Then there was a scrum. Then Sean Avery skated to an official with a pained look on his face, complaining that Brooks Laich had bitten him. Well then. As the Comcast SportsNet video above shows, Avery started pushing Laich's head down. Then Laich's mouth was obscured. Then Avery got that look on his face. So Tom Boswell asked Laich about the accusation. The Caps winger replied that he was bitten by an opponent during a regular-season game late this year. "And I remember calling him gutless and telling their bench that's a gutless play," Laich told Boswell. "And [Avery's] fingers were in my"
Rangers put Avery back on ice for Game 2
April 15
New York Post
 
"Sean Avery, a healthy scratch for Wednesday's first game of the playoffs against the Capitals, will get a uniform for Friday night's Game 2 as the Rangers seek to even the first-round series. "Hopefully Sean will give us an opportunity on the forecheck, stay disciplined and add some energy to the lineup," coach John Tortorella said this morning. "We have to spend more time in their end zone than we did in Game 1, and hopefully Sean will give us some juice there.""
Sean Avery could still be useful for Rangers
March 19
Bergen Record
 columnist Anthony Gross
"Sean Avery was not in the Rangers' lineup against the Canadiens on Friday night, a healthy scratch for the second time in three games. Once, that would have been big news. But the Grate One has been marginalized in his second tenure with the Rangers, averaging 11:32 of ice time this season even though he was in the lineup for the first 69 games. At times Avery looks comfortable on the ice. Often enough, though, he does not. That's when he tries to create things that aren't there, or why coach John Tortorella recently called him a potential defensive liability. Look, there's no doubt Avery, whose actual hockey skills are underrated, is an acquired taste. He does and says things to opponents"