Sean Avery Rule No.2: Six-Game Suspension for Crude Comments

Sean Avery has now had two NHL rules made up just for him.

There's Avery Rule No. 1, for unsportsmanlike conduct in screening a goalie.

And now there's Avery Rule No. 2, for being a pottymouth on TV.

Last season, the way he screened New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur during a play-off game with the Rangers quickly resulted in the NHL issued an interpretation of the league's unsportsmanlike conduct rule, known as The Avery Rule.

This season, they gave Avery a sixgame suspension for making crude remarks on TV before a hockey game. Avery was banned for shooting his mouth off.

Some hockey fans were outraged because Sean Avery said something about an ex-girlfriend, so he’s suspended indefinitely and kicked off the team, while another hockey player, Jarkko Ruutu, bit another player and was suspended only two games.

A CP article about the longest suspensions in NHL history was picked up by The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and other major newspapers, revealing a list of two dozen long suspensions for vicious hits. Avery's six game suspension appeared to be out of place, to say the least.

"Sean Avery got six games for saying something dumb. Somehow, though, it's the NHL that looks way dumber now," Newsday columnist Arthur Staples said.

"Avery talks plenty off the ice, too, usually to get opponents foaming at the mouth, which was his clear intent in calling his ex, actress Elisha Cuthbert, an unprintable phrase for Flames defense-man Dion Phaneuf. Unprintable for us—plenty of news outlets have printed it, so it's not exactly on George Carlin's "seven dirty words" list," he added.

Staples pointed out that the Stars gave Avery $15.5-million over four years because he shoots his mouth off.

He says a dangerous and fairly unenforceable precedent has now been set by Bettman and Campbell.

Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the NHL. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the NBA. He has a degree from New York University School of Law.

Colin Campbell, nicknamed "The Sheriff", is a former defence-man, coach and the current Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League. He serves as the NHL's principal disciplinarian.

A scrappy, physical defender, Campbell scored just 25 goals in 11 NHL seasons while accumulating almost 1500 penalty minutes.

The NHL's release on the suspension points out that Avery's comments had nothing to do with the game. "That's plain wrong," Staples said. "They had everything to do with the game the Stars and Flames were playing that night.

Avery is all about trying to get under everybody's skin. "Can you imagine what would be happening if Mike Milbury were still in charge of the Islanders?" Staples asked. "He'd be wearing duct tape on his mouth for half the year. Or during a playoff series, when things always get personal?"

"The Sean Avery Rule"

During an April 13, 2008 first round playoff game against the New Jersey Devils, Avery screened goaltender Martin Brodeur during a two-man advantage on the power-play.

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