Sidney Crosby Or Sean Avery? #1 Hockey Hero Versus #1 Hockey Villain

Sidney Crosby's fight—on the ice—with Sean Avery is immortalized on Youtube. But that battle between the No. 1 hockey hero and the No. 1 hockey villain was nothing compared to their battle of the brands.

If it's all about marketing and name recognition, Avery is kicking Crosby's butt with expensive shoes that match his designer belt and a not-too-masculine-looking shirt.

Crosby battles with Alexander Ovechkin for recognition as the best hockey layer in the NHL today. Meanwhile, Crosby''s teammate, Evegeni Malkin, who plays with Ovechkin for Russia, leads them both and the entire NHL in the race for the Art Ross Trophy for the league scoring champion (goals and assists).

Who Ovechkin? and Evgeni What? you say?

Exactly.

Crosby battles two Russians for status as the No. 1 hockey hero, but he fights a fellow Canadian for fame.

Crosby is promoted by the NHL as the new face of the sport, which is trying to get greater recognition in a market obsessed with the NFL, NBA, MLB and NASCAR. And Crosby is an excellent ambassador for the game.

Avery's PR company promoted him and he crossed over from hockey into the worlds of Hollywood, fashion, and celebrity.

The score: Avery 1.

Avery's in the new Gap ads, it was just announced, and there's a movie in the works with New Line Cinema based on an Avery article in Men's Vogue about his adventures as an NHLer working at a fashion magazine.

Last year, Avery led the Rangers over the Devils and then almost got killed playing the Penguins, sufering a laceratedd spleen, while Crosby and Malkin, with Hossa, loed their team to the Stanley Cup finals.

This year, Avery's in the AHL, making a comeback, while Malkin and Crosby lead the NHL in points scored. Both the Rangers and Penguins are out of the play-offs but could still get in, with a little luck, or some hired hands.

Last night Avery got good reviews for playing in his first game in months. Meanwhile, Crosby went pointless for his third game in a row. The Penguins lost 6-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers lost their last game 5-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Score: Avery 1, Crosby 0.

There's two weeks to the NHL's trade deadline, leading to the Stanley Cup play-offs. The Rangers have made it obvious they want Avery, but another team could steal him.

Rumours are spreading about the Rangers and the Penguins firing their coaches for not getting their talented teams into the play-offs.

Some say the Rangers should get Avery back, to spark them into playing like New Yorkers and save their season. Some suggest the Penguins take him on. Nobody's suggesting Crosby or even Crosby plus Malkin will lead the Penguins into the promised land—unless they get help.

The Score: Hockey Jesus 1, Hockey Moses 0.

And then there's the competition in TV interviews. Avery got kicked out of the NHL after his last TV interview as a Star. Crosby got a bad review in the National Post for a TSN interview with a comedian. Avery gave a great interview on The Hour to George Stroumboulopoulos on CBC TV and an even greater one on The NHL On NBC. 

Crosby gives good interviews but answers questions with safe answers, the way Wayne Gretzky did it, the National Post's reporter complained. The paper quoted Steve Shenbaum, who coaches athletes to be better actors during interviews, saying he loved working with Crosby when he wasn't yet The Beatles.

Avery's more like The Rolling Stones.

If Crosby was one of the Beatles, he'd be Paul. Avery would be John Lennon and Ringo Starr.

Avery isn't even playing in the NHL, right now. He's in the AHL, making a big comeback, and he appears to be winning the game of name recognition.