Sean Avery Retires

Sean Avery Announces His Retirement From Hockey
Yesterday, Sean Avery announced his retirement on the online “After Show” of Bravo TV’s “Watch What Happens Live”. Although his agent Pat Morris didn't confirm Avery's statement and said that Avery was "only joking", that doesn't appear to be the case. This morning Avery told Larry Brooks of the NY Post, "No, that wasn't a joke; yes I'm retiring at the end of the season, and it's OK." The thirty-one year old also stated in-reference to his announcement last night that "I guess that was my retirement press conference." 

Although Avery was hated by most people associated with the NHL, he did prove to be an effective player at times in his career. In 580 career NHL games he put up 247 points and a little over fifteen hundred penalty minutes. His agitating was well known throughout the hockey world and beyond due to the constant off-ice noise he'd create. 

I think its safe to say that he could go down as one of the most-hated players in NHL history. Whether it be him making fun of his then Kings teammate Dustin Brown because of his lisp, him making fun of Jason Blake about being diagnosed with cancer, or when he said to a handful of news reporters, "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" — in-reference to Dion Phaneuf dating Avery's ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert — he always loved to start trouble with anyone he could. 

When Avery returned to the Rangers during the 2008-09 season after a short, troublesome stint with Dallas, he played eight games in the AHL with the Rangers affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack (now the Connecticut Whale). I'll never forget when I went to Hartford for one of those eight games, to watch the Sound Tigers (Islanders AHL affiliate) visit their interstate rival on February 18th, 2009. I had seats right up against the glass near the Wolfpack bench and throughout the game I was giving it to Avery. In the second period there was a big scrum and Avery went after Sound Tigers goaltender Nathan Lawson. When the players were separated and brought to their respective benches I was giving it to Avery. He looked over in my direction, and while the referees were figuring out what the proper course of action was, he yelled through the glass "the Islanders are a f***ing joke". Although I understood that if I was going to give it to him, he has the right to give it right back, but as a fourteen year-old it was definitely interesting to see this supposedly 'professional' hockey player trash talk me.

Let me remind all of you that Avery had quite a past with the Islanders organization aside from just the plain fact that he played for the Rangers. Here's a few excerpts from the story that was printed by Chris Botta at Islanders Point Blank back on December 7th, 2008...

It’s September 24, 2007 and the Islanders and Rangers have completed a nasty exhibition game at Nassau Coliseum that’s remembered for a fight between goalies Rick DiPietro and Al Montoya. The game has been over for more than 30 minutes. Most of the players from both teams have left the arena. Standing in the locker room hallway at this point are me, a Rangers colleague, Islanders GM Garth Snow and Rangers right wing Brendan Shanahan. Sean Avery walks by and sees Snow and Shanahan talking. Although Avery did not play in the game, he cannot resist getting involved. “Way to go, Snow,” Avery yells. “Yeah, you’re bleepin’ awesome. Big bleepin’ win for you guys, you ———.” Shanahan says to his own teammate, “You’re kidding, right”? and tells Avery to continue walking. Avery ignores Shanahan, draws nearer and says something unprintable again to the general manager......Snow suggests that Avery listen to Shanahan and continue walking…but can’t hold back a parting shot: “That’s what you’re best at, Sean. Talking (crap) while you run away and let everyone else fight your battles.” Avery, now looking like an eighth-grader at the flagpole who knows the other guy can’t fight, tells Snow, “I’m standing right here, you ————-. Let’s go.” Shanahan, exasperated because he thought his baby-sitting duties were over for the night, orders Avery to leave the Coliseum immediately. Avery screams a few more inane insults, turns around and leaves......When Gary Bettman said on Friday that Avery had been repeatedly warned by the NHL that he was close to “crossing the line,” this may have been one of the precedents. Maybe the commisioner was also referring to Avery’s habit of skating by the Islanders bench and taunting Ted Nolan with profane insults about his First Nations ancestry.

His antics were always 'out there' and he made trouble with anyone he could. Some argue that this announcement means that the NHL has lost one of its biggest personalities, but I'll tell you this, the NHL has also gotten rid of one of its biggest dark spots on the league as well. 

I, for one, am more than happy that a person as unstable as Avery is no longer associated with the National Hockey League.....and Sean you sir are the 'f***ing joke'.