chicot60
10-05-2011, 10:43 AM
Sean Avery’s time with the New York Rangers appears to be up.
The veteran forward failed to make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers, according to agent Pat Morris.
Even before Tuesday’s move, the writing had been on the wall for Avery. He was battling Erik Christensen for the final forward position and was made a healthy scratch for exhibition games in Bratislava, Slovakia and Zug, Switzerland.
“I wanted to see Erik play more,” Rangers coach John Tortorella told the Rangers website on Monday. “I know what Sean is and what type of player he is, but I wanted to see Erik in different situations. I played (Erik) on the wing (Monday) and I played him at centre. He’s won a lot of games with us the past couple years with the shootout.
“We’ll make our decision heading into the opener.”
If Avery goes unclaimed by noon Eastern on Wednesday, the Rangers can send him to their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford. They might also explore the option of loaning him to a European team.
New York opens the regular season in Stockholm with a game against Los Angeles on Friday.
The 31-year-old Avery is entering the final year of a contract that pays him $4 million and is coming off one of his least productive seasons as a NHL player. He had just three goals and 24 points in 76 games for New York last year.
The controversial forward found himself back in the headlines earlier in the pre-season, when he claimed Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds uttered a homophobic slur at him during a game. Replays seemed to back up Avery’s assertion, but the NHL decided against disciplining Simmonds because it couldn’t substantiate the claim.
Avery has been a strong advocate for gay marriage in New York State.
His first stint with the Rangers ended in 2008 when he left as a free agent to sign a $16-million, four-year deal with Dallas. It ended up being a short stay with the Stars after Avery made his infamous “sloppy seconds” remark about an ex-girlfriend who had started dating Dion Phaneuf.
That earned him a six-game suspension from the NHL, a stint in anger management counselling and a banishment from the Stars. New York ended up claiming him on a re-entry waivers in March 2009 — meaning it was only on the hook for half of his salary.
Dallas is still paying the other half.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/1064428--n-y-rangers-to-place-forward-sean-avery-on-waivers-according-to-agent
The veteran forward failed to make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers, according to agent Pat Morris.
Even before Tuesday’s move, the writing had been on the wall for Avery. He was battling Erik Christensen for the final forward position and was made a healthy scratch for exhibition games in Bratislava, Slovakia and Zug, Switzerland.
“I wanted to see Erik play more,” Rangers coach John Tortorella told the Rangers website on Monday. “I know what Sean is and what type of player he is, but I wanted to see Erik in different situations. I played (Erik) on the wing (Monday) and I played him at centre. He’s won a lot of games with us the past couple years with the shootout.
“We’ll make our decision heading into the opener.”
If Avery goes unclaimed by noon Eastern on Wednesday, the Rangers can send him to their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford. They might also explore the option of loaning him to a European team.
New York opens the regular season in Stockholm with a game against Los Angeles on Friday.
The 31-year-old Avery is entering the final year of a contract that pays him $4 million and is coming off one of his least productive seasons as a NHL player. He had just three goals and 24 points in 76 games for New York last year.
The controversial forward found himself back in the headlines earlier in the pre-season, when he claimed Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds uttered a homophobic slur at him during a game. Replays seemed to back up Avery’s assertion, but the NHL decided against disciplining Simmonds because it couldn’t substantiate the claim.
Avery has been a strong advocate for gay marriage in New York State.
His first stint with the Rangers ended in 2008 when he left as a free agent to sign a $16-million, four-year deal with Dallas. It ended up being a short stay with the Stars after Avery made his infamous “sloppy seconds” remark about an ex-girlfriend who had started dating Dion Phaneuf.
That earned him a six-game suspension from the NHL, a stint in anger management counselling and a banishment from the Stars. New York ended up claiming him on a re-entry waivers in March 2009 — meaning it was only on the hook for half of his salary.
Dallas is still paying the other half.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/1064428--n-y-rangers-to-place-forward-sean-avery-on-waivers-according-to-agent