Avery returns to Hollywood

No, Sean Avery hasn't already worn out his welcome in Dallas.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that agitator extraordinaire and fashionista Avery has inked a deal with New Line Cinema to make a film "about professional hockey player Sean Avery's experiences in the fashion world, including his stint as a summer intern at a fashion magazine... The movie will be a romantic comedy."

Avery, who was interviewed for the article, seems rather pleased with his latest off-ice accomplishment. Let's hope he just as happy after New Line casts Freddie Prinze Jr. and Hilary Duff in the leads, and Mike Comrie is stealing his thunder on set.

Rumor is Hollywood producer-cum-NHL owner Oren Koules will soon be announcing his plans to bring the Vincent Lecavalier Story to the big screen.

Sean Avery: Myth or Legend

Sean Avery's a jerk. That fact is undisputed. But is he really the secret to the Rangers' success?

True, so far this season they're 12-5-1 with him in the lineup and 8-10-3 without. But Avery has contributed a whopping two goals in 18 games and has 11 points. That's 0.61 PPG, behind linemates Brendan Shanahan (0.74) and Chris Drury (0.71), who spent much of the season with the third line. Avery only has two points on the PP, where he plays on the second unit. Rangerland.net provides a more concise analysis, thanks to the Simpsons.

Though Avery's precence may be a placebo affect, it's real to his teammates.

"Yeah, he does make a difference," Chris Drury said. "Just look at the games he's been back - we've definitely been a different team."

"He's definitely a spark - he stirs it up," said Scott Gomez. "He's like Claude Lemieux that way. They bring it every night. So they can do whatever they want. I mean, what can you say to a guy that brings it every night? You have to respect that. And yeah, we are a different team when he's in our lineup."

- New York Daily News

Players are often praised for the intangibles they bring to a team. For Avery, that involves saying things that would make a normal man cry but not necessarily putting the puck in the net.

So long as the Rangers continue to win, Sean Avery is a legend in the making to Blueshirt fans.

Abritration blues hurts Blueshirts

It's now not exactly new news that Sean Avery was awarded a $1.9M contract in arbitration and the Rangers accepted. Yet, the media still hasn't moved on. From Larry Brooks pre-hearing article in the NY Post (which started the hubbub) to today's piece in the Ottawa Citizen, pundits seem to be coming down hard on Glen Sather for daring to say a bad word about Avery.

Yes, this Avery:


I wonder what the Kings would have said had it had been them in the arbitration room.

It's as if Glen Sather was the first GM in history to present a case for not paying an RFA his asking price. If there's a first, it's the team's brief being leaked to the media before the hearing. Hmmm, wonder how that happened.

Do I wholly agree with the Rangers' assessment of Avery? Probably not. Do I think the team should have candy-coated it? Absolutely not. If Avery didn't want to hear it, he shouldn't have chosen to go the arbitration route.

And why does anyone care if Avery's feelings are hurt? At least Sather didn't call him a monkey.

The Avery Arbitration

Sean Avery and the New York Rangers went to arbitration today. The feisty winger wasn't thrilled with Glen Sather's comments about him, but you don't go to these hearings hoping to mend fences.

The Blueshirt Bulletin gives a pretty good overview of the comparables both parties might have in their briefs as well as which player salaries are ineligible as evidence.

Any contract signed as an UFA can't be presented. But what about Dustin Penner? He and Avery have similar enough stats. (For quick reference: Avery, Penner) He's a RFA.

Well, unfortunately, Penner doesn't yet have a contract with either the Ducks or the Oilers until Brian Burke decides his fate - and the GM has seven days from the date of the offer sheet to do so.

Whether it was to help Sather or merely sweat out Kevin Lowe some more, Burke's procrastination maybe be the Rangers' biggest coup this summer.