Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Bad Boy, Bad Boy, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do in your Broadway Blues


He's back....

Time once again for NHLers to hide their girlfriends and prepare to slip into ignore mode, as one of the NHL's most outrageous of players prepares to resume his career.

Sent adrift by the Dallas Stars and fresh from his stint in purgatory (aka Hartford) and ready to return to action, the New York Rangers have decided to give right winger Sean Avery one more skate in the NHL.

The Rangers picked up the NHL's version of Public Enemy number one off of re-entry waivers on Tuesday, in a hopeful bid to have the Rangers playoff ambitions re stoked by his, uh, er, temperamental ways. Whether he becomes a tonic or a distraction for their woes remains to be seen, but it certainly seems like a risky move on the part of the Rangers.

Avery last saw action in November, his career suddenly sidelined thanks to his own boorish behaviour after he made derogatory remarks about a former girlfriend, one who is currently dating the Calgary Flames Dion Phaneuf.

At the time of his running off at the mouth, many hockey observers felt that he had finally stepped over the line and would soon be but a forgotten memory of the NHL. Even his own team mates in Dallas couldn't wait to distance themselves from him, sending definite signs that he had already worn out his welcome in Big D, with few other teams showing any form of interest in his talents, it was left to his old team the Rangers to give him cause for rehabilitation one more time.
Since he first appeared on the Ranger radar the Blue shirts have changed coaches, replacing the rather calm and aloof Tom Renney with the occasionally bombastic stylings of John Tortorella, a take no crap kind of coach who will certainly be putting Avery on the shortest of leashes.

If things go off the rails early between coach and player, it might be worth the price of admission to sit in on the one on one session between the two, you have a sense that somehow New York as big as it is, may not be big enough for both.

National Post-- Rangers claim Avery on waivers
Dallas Morning News-- Sean Avery leaves Dallas Stars for New York Rangers
New York Daily News-- Rangers ready to embrace Avery
New York Times-- Rangers Acquire Avery for Second Agitating Run
Newsday-- Rangers, Tortorella react to the return of Sean Avery...
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Photo from New York Post website

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