Sean Avery suspended ...........

[blueline]

NHL SUSPENDS AVERY INDEFINITELY FOR COMMENTS, PENDING HEARING

The NHL has suspended Dallas Stars' forward Sean Avery indefinitely, pending a hearing with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and Avery will not be playing in tonight's game against the Calgary Flames.

Avery is being suspended for disparaging remarks he made this morning in reference to Calgary player Dion Phaneuf and Phaneuf's girl friend Elisha Cuthbert, who previously had a relationship with Avery.

"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."

The hearing will take place in accordance with the NHL Constitution, for conduct "detrimental to the League or game of hockey," the NHL announced today.

More details to follow.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=258182&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main

Check out the video on the linked page and see the smug look on his face when he made the comments on camera.

 

[calloway]

... how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds.

If Elisha Cuthbert is sloppy seconds... I wonder how Britney and Lindsay would rate?

 

[21pro]

apparently more was said than that on the plane and some Stars took offence to it.

if you think about it, what he said shouldn't really warrant a suspension, should it? I mean Eric Lindros was once able to say something far worse and didn't get the slightest 'no, you don't do that' talk...

this leads me to believe there is more to it. hockey time- gotta go. ironic, ain't it? the less time i spend on terb, the better my team does... unbeaten in 6 now.

 

[blueline]

apparently more was said than that on the plane and some Stars took offence to it.

if you think about it, what he said shouldn't really warrant a suspension, should it? I mean Eric Lindros was once able to say something far worse and didn't get the slightest 'no, you don't do that' talk...

this leads me to believe there is more to it. hockey time- gotta go.

You also have to think the NHL stepped in and did this to try and avoid any trouble in the game tonight.

 

[21pro]

yeah- of course... but, i think the best is to let him face the recourse of his actions, intent and words- even if he is manic depressive.

the silly thing also is that this kind of chatter happens constantly on the ice during the game.

 

[Insidious Von]

Breaking news: Sean Avery goes canoeing on the Tennesse River.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tqxzWdKKu8

 

[blueline]

yeah- of course... but, i think the best is to let him face the recourse of his actions, intent and words- even if he is manic depressive.

the silly thing also is that this kind of chatter happens constantly on the ice during the game.

Well, I go along with that as well. However, we know how Avery operates and how he likes to pick his dance partners. Dion would chase him all over to no avail then things would just turn ugly. Sure I'd like to see Avery get his ass kicked but I think the NHL did the right thing for tonight.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Unless we hear more about what was said (and it had better be incredibly crude and/or racist in nature), this suspension is an absolute travesty.

And this coming from an avowed Sean Avery despiser! What's the world coming to?!?

 

[blueline]

Excellent points made tonight on a couple of the games I have been watching.

Both Keith Jones and Brian Engblom on Versus said the NHL did the right thing. They both said the fact that Avery sought out the camera to make his prepared statement is what makes it wrong. You can see Avery in the video clip and hear him ask if the camera is on, then he makes his way over. They also said, as 21pro said, stuff way worse than that is said on the ice, however, only a few people can hear it. This was done in front of a camera. Big difference. They believe had it been said on the ice, this would not be a big deal.

Bob McKenzie pretty much said the same thing, that Avery made a derogatory comment towards a woman on camera and he deserves to be dealt with. He said if Avery used the words ex-gf instead of 'sloppy seconds', there is no story.

I remember a few weeks back, when Avery pulled that circus act in Boston, Don Cherry said that Brett Hull will 'rue the day' he brought in Sean Avery. Matt Barnaby said tonight he felt Avery has played his last game with Dallas.

Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks also released a statement that had the NHL not suspended Avery, he would have done it. He said he does not support that type of behaviour.

 

[dmbfan]

I don't care if elisha cuthbert is sloppy seconds or not, I would still take her any day. also does avery think that he was the first one to ever date elisha? agree with the points about this being rehearsed. i also feel that the league stepped in to avoid another todd bertuzzi - steve moore incident. that being said avery deserves what he got and desevres the treatment he is getting from his teammates or ex-teammates

 

[darkhorse705]

seems like his teammates are quickly distancing themselves from him. Wonder how long until he is released and ends up playing in europe?

 

[Casa_Nova]

A la both Bob Mckenzie and Matthew Barnaby, the reasons of suspension is because it's premeditated, it has nothing to do with the NHL, and that it was a build up of other things that Avery has done within the past while that the league has let slide. Barnaby put it best. He said in his playing days he has said things much much worst - but on the ice. It's a heated game and emotions get the best of people, and sure there's a bit of gamemanship as well...but it should all be on the ice and between the boys. Airing things out in the media and stirring things up that way is not how the NHL want their players to represent them.

 

[dj1470]

The guy is a coward and doesn't know what the word class is .The two of them split upi a year ago and he is bringin up shit?

The time will for this clown too get speared .Look what he did too Marty last year in the play offs.

I wonder what the guy has got against Lundquist.

He is a cancer too the sport and someone has too teach the punk a lesson!

This attitude? Is exactly what Avery was looking for and wants.

On the ice he'd love for his comments off ice to get other players to try to go after him all the time. Then he can turtle and his team ends up on the neverending powerplay.

As for suspending him for comments about some other players girlfriend? The NHL should grow a set of balls and realize that more disgusting things are said every minute of every game on the ice and in the dressing room.

 

[blueline]

The guy is a coward and doesn't know what the word class is .The two of them split upi a year ago and he is bringin up shit?

The time will for this clown too get speared .Look what he did too Marty last year in the play offs.

I wonder what the guy has got against Lundquist.

He is a cancer too the sport and someone has too teach the punk a lesson!

True, however, that is what the NHL was just trying to avoid by sitting him out last night. As another poster mentioned and as heard on the TSN panel last night, the NHL doesn't need another Steve Moore, Donald Brashear type incident on their hands. I would be willing to bet that if he had been allowed to play last night, it would have gotten very ugly.

As has been mentioned time and time again about this guy, he can actually play the game, he can contribute in more positive ways. He just chooses to be an ass clown at times.

 

[blueline]

As for suspending him for comments about some other players girlfriend? The NHL should grow a set of balls and realize that more disgusting things are said every minute of every game on the ice and in the dressing room.

You are right DJ, but that is what sets this incident aside. It was calculated, rehearsed, planned and it is on every sportcast in Canada, possibly the USA now for everyone to see. The NHL doesn't want this guy to be representing them on tv with words like that. As many said last night on various game broadcasts, had it been said on the ice, this would not be an issue. Of course worse things are said, but the entire country shouldn't have to hear a player make derogatory comment about a players gf or wife. We all laughed when Reggie Dunlop of the Charlestown Chiefs called that goalies wife a dyke and the brawl followed. But think of how your wife or gf would feel hearing someone go on national tv and call her sloppy seconds or a dirty old skank. Do it on the ice, take your punishment and it is over, there is no story. It was over the line.

 

[Dartman]

Don't you think that maybe they dumped Sean

 

[calloway]

I'm sure Dallas would love to dump him... but there's one small problem.

The Stars signed the unrestricted free agent to a four-year, $15.5 million contract

 

[blueline]

The NHL also has a problem on their hands regarding what to do with him. How long of a suspension should he get? Was the one game enough? Why 5 games or 10, how do they determine the number? Fine him? How much? Should be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I hate Avery too, but I couldn't agree more with you Captain. Is this really such a big deal? Who cares?

Avery's a total asshole, proven time and time again. I understand from a politically correct standpoint, you suspend him a game or three, but a league that condones on-ice violence, features Craig McTavish and Rick Tocchett as coaches, allows Todd Bertuzzi to continue playing after ending Steve Moore's career, and allowed Claude Lemieux and others to have played shouldn't go overboard on this.

Exactly.

If they had a written code of conduct for on and off-ice incidents that laid out what's a suspendable offence and the number of games for a particular offence - give or take - then I could respect the NHL. But as is, punishment is arbitrary and seemingly based on the whims of Bettman and whoever his VP and Director of Hockey Operations is at the moment. (And yes, I know it's currently Colin Campbell, but the position seems to have a revolving door.)

So long as the league ignores the elephant in the corner of the room - brutal on-ice violence, vigilanteism and lack of respect among the players in particular - then their attempts to window-dress the league with suspensions for something Avery said (that was in actuality, just silly and sophomoric) is pathetic.

So does that mean that Brian Burke should have been suspended for what he said about Kevin Lowe and the Edmonton franchise? Ban Eddie Belfour for his drunken "million-billion dollars" attempted bribe? C'mon... the league is sterile and stiff enough and has never been able to market itself - the last thing it needs is for these guys to never say a thing to the media except for the horribly boring cliches that make my ears bleed.

 

[Hurricane Hank]

I agree with the suspension. Hockey, like football, is a violent game. Like a lot of guys I played both and love both sports. However, in our pro sports world, the players need to be held to a high standard. I like that concept.
Talk shit on the ice. Do it face to face tough guy. I don't want to sound like a bleeding heart, but how many women and kids heard that shit. The NHL is fighting to survive in a lot of places, and attention of this sort doesn't help.

Suppose Phaneuf had a mentally challeged brother and Avery had said "I don't know who's more of a retard, Dion or his brother." While it may not be spelled out in the CBA that this is not acceptable, would you still support no action or a fine by the league? What if he had made a racial slur? There is no visible line to cross. However, the NHL, the Dallas Stars, and Avery's teamates are smart enough to know that wherever that line is, Avery is far beyond it.