From the desk of Patrick Hoffman…
As I am sure all of you hockey nuts are aware, Sean Avery has been suspended indefinitely due to the following comments he made to Canadian reporters after yesterday’s morning skate in Calgary:
“I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada,” Avery said on camera this morning in Calgary. “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. Enjoy the game tonight.”
Obviously, Avery was commenting on the relationship between his ex-girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert, and Flames’ defenseman Dion Phaneuf. It’s understandable that Avery would be angry at the guy for dating his ex but does something like this have a place in the game?
According to Gary Bettman and Dallas Stars’ management, it doesn’t. TSN Insider Bob Mckenzie believes the league suspended him because of his specific choice of words (sloppy seconds) and because of things that he hasn’t been punished for (flipping the finger to a cameraman in New York, verbal exchanges with Darcy Tucker and allegations of what he may have said to Leafs’ forward Jason Blake.
In my opinion, Avery was just trash talking. The words he said in front of the reporters and cameras was something that should have (Not that I condone it) been done on the ice. This way, may be Avery and Phaneuf would have been able to settle any grudge that they may have with a good old hockey fight. However, Avery took the wrong path and decided to make himself the focal point, which not only embarrassed his team, but also the league as well.
Everywhere Avery has played, he has been a constant source of attention, putting himself before the team and the game. Former Tampa Bay Lightning coach, now TSN analyst, John Tortorella (I bet you thought I was going to say Melrose) commented that Avery shouldn’t be in the league anymore and that enough is enough.
What’s even more upsetting about this fiasco is that when he wants to, Avery can be a solid hockey player. He goes hard to the net, generates scoring chances, moves the puck well and has lots of speed. However, when he does stuff like this, it makes people forget about the good things that he does.
As such, Avery needs to keep it on the ice!
For more hockey talk, feel free to drop me an e-mail at patrickhoffm@gmail.com
Patrick Hoffman has covered the NHL since 2003. He has worked for a variety of hockey media sources including Stan Fischler, Spector’s Hockey, Kukla’s Korner, HartfordWolfPack.com, TheHockeyNews.com, HockeyBuzz.com, MVN.com, McKeen’s Hockey, HockeyPrimeTime.com, Blueshirt Bulletin, NY SportsDay, and HokejaVestnesis.com.
Tags: Dallas Stars, NHL