Well, that didn't take long...

[Electrophile 3,554]

Sean Avery is the grown man equivalent to the little boy in your kindergarten class who ate paste, knocked chairs over and pulled his pants down, all in desperate attempts to get someone to pay attention to him. When no one talks about him or pays attention to him, he acts out to force the issue.

He's a spoiled brat. The Red Wings don't need spoiled brats, and I'm thankful he's gone.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

The NHL only has Avery for a bad guy. Everyone needs a bad guy.

Kopecky fills the "bad" role quite nicely for the Red Wings.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Kopecky fills the "bad" role quite nicely for the Red Wings.

I don't think he is bad in that sense.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I don't think he is bad in that sense.

No, not at all. It would be nice if he was though since he doesn't do much of anything else.

[SDavis35 140]

In any case Thomas got the ideal revenge. A lovely shutout!

[Guest Shoreline]

Once a ******, always a ******. Wish they'd have pounded his face into the ice. Grapes showed how Avery refused to stand up to any fighter when confronted later on. What a ****.

[Nightfall 871]

First, I wouldn't classify that as a slash. I have had worse in rec league hockey games. Secondly, the refs shouldn't be making calls off of what they see on instant replays. Reviewing goals is one thing. Reviewing penalties is something that shouldn't be allowed.

If anything Avery will get a game or two. He was just trying to bring the B's off their game and he did that. Although I thought it was in poor taste, but heck, I am a goalie.

[Vincanni 1]

Lol that's like something out of Slapshot, Sean Avery is such a D-bag. However, you can not deny he adds excitement to every game he plays.

[sureWhyNot 19]

I muyst have missed the "mayhem" part - I mean I saw some people skate after one another and a goalie swat someone with his blocker, but completely missed out on the rest. Either way, thanks for the clip.

As for Avery - big deal, I mean really. People act like Avery was a suspected accessory to murder (whoops, that was the other professional sports league) or did something downright appalling like spit in the face of an official (darn, again, wrong professional sports league). He said sloppy seconds (big f*cking deal) and is better at being a pest then anyone in the league, and probably the best overall at agitating since the all time best, Dino Ciccarelli.

I love Avery, and what I love even more is the crying and whining that his actions evoke from a portion of the hockey crowd - it's real time proof that he is doing exactly what he planned to and it's working like a charm.

[sixer 37]

Thomas wouldn't have cared if it wasn't Avery and only went after him after seeing his Jersey.

That goes to show how it was meaningless and a big deal wouldn't have been made if it was anyone else.

Who cares.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Man, why couldn't that have been Oz that got hit up side the head. Maybe that would light a fire under his ass.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Coaches Corner, April 4, 2009.

Mr. Cherry has it right. As Avery is skating up to Thomas, he glances to the right; I wonder what he is looking at?

[esteef 2,679]

Nothin' wrong with that. Wasn't even remotely dangerous, and it pissed the B's off.

Agree 100%. Everyone ragging him in this thread needs to re-visit what an agitator is in hockey.

esteef

[HOCKEY MATTERS 167]

Avery is an embarrassment to the NHL and needs to be kicked out of the NHL for good. He is doing these kinds of stupid things all the time. He is nothing but an instigator.

I used to agree with your take on this, but now I disagree Avery, like Homer, has found a stand-alone niche in the NHL. Just as many folks would love to see Avery gone a lot have wanted to see Homer gone, too, for what he does. I put Avery right up there with Grapes...... not really necessary, but entertaining if you have your head in the right place.Avery wasn't trying to hurt Thomas, just tryin to be an ass. He is the best at that. I say wind him up and let him go. He makes me laugh. Smacking the opposing GT in the back of the head... how juvenile.

[puckloo39 5,686]

Avery is a moron. I used to see players do crap like that in the lowest of the low league here in Austin (CHL). That is perhaps where he really belongs?

Thomas handled it very well. Stuck up for himself, and put Avery in his place. The Rangers would do well to let Avery go over the summer, entertainment "value" aside.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Kopecky's idea of being "bad" is leaving the toilet seat up.

I want to see Kopecky tap Backstrom on the head the same way today.

And if Boogaard has a problem with that, Kopy will be more than able to deal with him also.

[maltbymaniac 13]

The NHL only has Avery for a bad guy. Everyone needs a bad guy.

+1

i get a kick outta avery,he adds a lil spice to things

[digitaljohn88 4]

Unfortunately for the Rangers, Thomas isn't thrown off as easily as Brodeur... Thomas went on to shut them out and win the game.

[uk_redwing 495]

Avery is an agitator. This is his job. He doesnt hurt people like Tootoo or Ott. He gave Thomas a love tap nothing more.

I love Avery. He makes games exciting. Id love him to be himself and still be a Red Wing. That kind of s*** gets the adrenaline flowing!

[Dawgs 0]

Averys actually good for hockey. He creates a buzz and gives Betman a foil.

My probem with Avery is hes a chicken s***. Whacking the goalie in the back of the head because hes too much of a puss to do it face to face. Jordin Tootoo is an agitator. Avery is a chemically imbalanced douchebag.

[esteef 2,679]

My probem with Avery is hes a chicken s***. Whacking the goalie in the back of the head because hes too much of a puss to do it face to face. Jordin Tootoo is an agitator. Avery is a chemically imbalanced douchebag.

Chicken s*** for what? Avery WILL drop the gloves unlike the majority of our roster. Should he have just challenged the goaltender to a fight? Get serious man, he's agitating and nothing more. He purposely let his stick make contact on his way by only to piss Thomas off, and guess what, it worked exactly as planned.

Good on Avery for not letting Bettman and his "counseling" change the way he play his game.

esteef

[tux 0]

Chicken s*** for what? Avery WILL drop the gloves unlike the majority of our roster. Should he have just challenged the goaltender to a fight? Get serious man, he's agitating and nothing more. He purposely let his stick make contact on his way by only to piss Thomas off, and guess what, it worked exactly as planned.

Good on Avery for not letting Bettman and his "counseling" change the way he play his game.

esteef

I can guarantee you that if they got rid of the instigator rule Avery wouldn't do that more than once.

Edited April 5, 2009 by tux

[LeftWinger 5,152]

you know what is more annoying than Avery and his instigating antics? Ovechkin and his childish goal celebrations!!

[Guest Shoreline]

Chicken s*** for what? Avery WILL drop the gloves unlike the majority of our roster. Should he have just challenged the goaltender to a fight? Get serious man, he's agitating and nothing more. He purposely let his stick make contact on his way by only to piss Thomas off, and guess what, it worked exactly as planned.

Good on Avery for not letting Bettman and his "counseling" change the way he play his game.

esteef

I haven't seen any players do anything that Avery has done, causing a team distraction through the media by insulting some woman a player of an opposing team is dating, or going up behind a goalie and smacking him upside the head with a stick. But I find it rather *****-like when he doesn't answer for what he did when someone comes to his doorstep. Twice he had someone telling him to fight, and one time he dropped the gloves and just wussed out. The Wings comparable agitator is Holmstrom, who just screens goalies who don't like his ass 1-inch away from the crease and blocking their view.

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

I agree that the incident was not really that dangerous. But the point is that he intentionally touched him. I get that they are hockey players and will make contact during the play, but when the play is stopped, no one should be touching anybody. It's really disrespectful and rude. Maybe I'm saying this because I hate being touched.