Even though he hasn’t laced up the skates in the NHL since 2012, Sean Avery still finds ways to stir things up.
The former winger built a 10-year, 580-game career on chaos and controversy, bouncing through four teams and leaving behind the kind of legacy that literally forced the league to write new rules. Only Avery would think of standing in front of the opposing team’s goalie with his back to the play, waving his arms like a human traffic cone, an action that has since become prohibited by what is called “the Sean Avery rule.”
Now, the fights are verbal. Appearing Sept. 23 on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast to promote a new book he co-wrote, Avery wasted little time taking aim at NHL executives.
Often with little to no provocation.
Ex-NHL Agitator Sean Avery Denounces Mike Sullivan as ‘One Dope Hire’
On the show, Avery and hosts Paul Bissonnette, Ryan Whitney, and Keith Yandle tore into the league’s growing reliance on kids barely out of junior hockey. In the salary-cap era, the quartet argued, teams stash underdeveloped teenagers in the bottom six instead of paying reliable veterans — a cost-saving move that drags down the game.
With the New York Rangers already on his mind after an earlier segment about their current roster, Avery put some of the onus on coaching for the state of the game, then zeroed in on Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, who was an assistant coach during Avery’s last few seasons in New York.
“The future does not look bright in New York,” Avery said. “I mean, Mike Sullivan, one dope hire. He’s a [expletive] dope, okay? In my opinion. Now, I don’t know, maybe he’s changed and he connects with these young guys now.”
Sean Avery Criticizes Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams: ‘He’s So Un-[expletive]-Memorable’
The former players later acknowledged the decline in consistently physical play throughout the regular season that has coincided with the rise in youth, which Avery criticized in part as a sign of the times and a departure from the old school mentality.
“I mean, the days of getting on the bus and having (longtime, legendary NHL executive) Glenn Sather, like, side eye you because he’s just disgusted with how you played. He doesn’t say anything. Just disgusted,” Avery said. “And you know, man, if this guy wakes up in the middle of the night tonight and he had a bad dream, I could be [expletive] gone. You know, just that’s it.”
To accentuate his point, Avery then chose Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to vent his dislike of present-day management in the NHL – although Avery first called him “Kevin Allen,” with the show hosts quickly correcting him.
“Kevyn Adams? He wasn’t even … I played a lot against him. He’s so un-[expletive]-memorable, I didn’t even know his last name,” Avery said. “But like, if I’m, uh, [Sabres owner Terry] Pagula, I’m not giving the keys to the castle to that guy. I need [expletive] more accountability and I need it from top to bottom in the organization.”
Just a few off-the-cuff remarks from a guy who has never been afraid to push the boundaries.
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