Sean Avery

Lore & Background

Avery was born in North York, Ontario, to parents Al and Marlene Avery, both teachers, and grew up in Pickering, Ontario. He played junior hockey for the Owen Sound Platers and Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) before being signed by the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in 1999. He first played in the NHL during the 2001–02 season, appearing in 36 games with the Red Wings, who won the Stanley Cup that season, though Avery did not play in the playoffs nor the required 41 games to have his name engraved on the Cup. Midway through the 2002–03 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he briefly played in the Finnish Elite League and the United Hockey League. He led the league in penalty minutes in 2003–04 and 2005–06. With the Kings, he was unofficially suspended for the remainder of the 2005–06 season after refusing to do a drill in practice. In February 2007, he was traded to the New York Rangers, where he helped the team qualify for the playoffs and set a record for fastest goal scored by a Ranger on home ice. He signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract with the Dallas Stars in July 2008, but after a suspension for controversial remarks and completing a counseling program, the Stars placed him on waivers in February 2009. He was claimed by the Rangers and played there until being waived multiple times, eventually retiring in March 2012. In 2022, he signed a contract with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL but was released two days later without playing a game.

Reader's Guide

Sean Avery's significance in hockey stems from his polarizing career defined by an agitating playing style and repeated controversies. He led the NHL in penalty minutes twice, and his actions prompted the NHL to create 'The Avery Rule' after he employed an unorthodox method of screening goaltender Martin Brodeur during the 2008 playoffs, turning his back to the play and waving his stick and hands. The league subsequently issued an interpretation of the unsportsmanlike conduct rule to penalize such actions. Avery was also involved in disputes over comments about other players, including allegations of remarks about Jason Blake's leukemia diagnosis, which he denied, and accusations of bullying teammates such as Dustin Brown. His career was marked by multiple teams waiving him and a contract termination. After retiring, he pursued work in fashion as an intern at Vogue magazine, as a model, as an actor, and as a restaurateur. He published a memoir, Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey, in 2017, and hosted a weekly podcast, No Gruffs Given with Sean Avery, from December 2019 to 2022. His acting roles include Bob Dill in The Rocket (2005) and appearances in several Christopher Nolan films.

Did You Know?

• Avery led the NHL in penalty minutes in both the 2003–04 and 2005–06 seasons.
• He set a record for the fastest goal scored by a New York Ranger on home ice, scoring 10 seconds into a game on February 16, 2008.
• After retiring in 2012, he interned at Vogue magazine and worked as a model and actor.
• In 2022, he signed with the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears but was released two days later without playing a game.