Sean Avery Cures Cancer in the Locker Room

Sean Avery was referred to as a cancer in the locker room by the Dallas Stars and hockey pundits but it appears he has discovered the cure.

Avery has turned over many Maple Leafs in his hockey career, including their tough guy, Darcy Tucker, but now sources say he's turned over a new leaf.

Suspended by the NHL and not invited back to the Dallas Stars, Avery had to undergo anger management or behaviour modification. Hockey pundits said his career was over, but the Stars recently put him on waivers and sent him to the AHL to play his way back to the NHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

It is no secret the New York Rangers want him back sooner rather than later to save their season. The last time Avery joined the Rangers, he led them on a playoff run with a first-round victory over the New Jersey Devils.

Despite predictions Avery would never change, his performance at his first two practices with the Wolf Pack had hockey writers calling him a diplomat and suggesting he write a self-help book. Sportsnet.com called him "Zen-like".

He told the New York Post, "I'm going to wake up, see how I feel, and whatever plans or guidelines the team has for me, I'll just help these guys as much as I can and have fun doing it."

When he practiced with Hartford, he wore a face shield.

The New York Post reported he mixed easily with his new teammates on the Wolf Pack.
Avery told reporters he did not want to take a lot of questions. In the past, he was criticized for constantly seeking attention.
He spoke very briefly to reporters and talked the talk of the recovery movement.

He said things like, "I just focus on today", "I don’t want to speculate on the past", ""It’s all part of the process", "I’m happy for the opportunity", "I'm just taking it day to day at this point", "I'm just feeling like I'm a better person and feeling better about myself is the most important thing," and "What I'm worried about right now is today and I'm concentrating on myself today, and the game of hockey.

"That's all I can think about at this point."
He also said things like "It was just a real important time in my life, just one of those things where I took some time to sit back and help myself become a better person. It was amazing. It was something that was important for me as a person, as a man."

Avery said, "Actions speak louder than words", indicating he plans to walk the walk as well as talk the talk of recovery.

No doubt, Avery's actions that will be scrutinized when he does get into a game with Hartford and with the Rangers. 
Avery was smiling when talking with reporters and chatting with his new team members on the ice, at practice.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman suspended Avery for six games and Dallas, which signed Avery to a four-year, $15.5-million contract in July, told Avery to stay away. He entered the joint NHL/NHL Players' Association recovery program and came out sounding like a different man.

Avery also told reporters, "I'm sure there's still going to be an element of Sean Avery hockey that's exciting to watch."

Meanwhile, without Avery, in a game between two cities that used to have NHL teams, the Hartford Wolf Pack lost to the Manitoba Moose, 4-2, and the Moose regained the top spot in the AHL.

After hearing the news about Avery being sent to Hartford, on his way to join them, he New York Rangers managed to snap a five-game losing streak with a win over Alexander Ovechkin's Washington Capitals in a 5-4 shootout.

The Rangers were on an 0-4-1 skid and needed to win, Instead of to ensure falling to seventh place in the Eastern Conference, they moved up into a fourth-place tie in points with Philadelphia.