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.

He waved his hands and stick in front of Brodeur in an attempt to distract him and block his view. The puck was later cleared out of the Devils' end zone but on the second Rangers offensive attack, Avery scored the power-play goal.

Although screening is a common tactic used, notable in this instance was that Avery had spent the initial part of the play facing Brodeur while ignoring the puck.

It was not an explicit rules violation and Avery was not penalized. The following day,  to cover actions such as the one employed by Avery.

Colin Campbell has been busy recently. The NHL's disciplinarian gave Los Angeles Kings defence-man Denis Gauthier a five-game suspension and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy a one-game ban.

Gauthier's punishment comes after he hammered Montreal Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges with an elbow to the head. He received a charging major on the play and will forfeit more than $56,000 in salary during his suspension.

Gorges left the game and didn't play Sunday against Boston.He's eligible to return to the Kings lineup on Feb. 14 against Edmonton.

Kennedy's one-game suspension will cost him $2,900 in lost wages. He violated rule 70.2 on Saturday by getting into a fight with Toronto's Luke Schenn after a line change. Kennedy will sit out tonight's game in Montreal.

To my knowledge, neither Gauthier nor Kennedy was sent to "Anger Management". Neither were any of the hockey players on the list of longest suspensions in the history of the NHL.

Chris Simon of the New York Islanders got 30 games for stomping on the leg of Pittsburgh's Jarko Ruutu in December, 2007.

The NHL suspended Jesse Boulerice of the Philadelphia Flyers for 25 games following his vicious cross check to the face of Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kessler, in 2007.

Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins got 23 games for knocking out Vancouver's Donald Brashear by swinging a stick at his head in 2000.

Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks got 20 games for serious injuries sustained by Colorado's Steve Moore when Bertuzzi jumped him from behind in March, 2004.

Jesse Boulerice of the Philadelphia Flyers got 25 games for a crosscheck to the face of Vancouver's Ryan Kesler in 2007.

Gordie Dwyer of the Tampa Bay Lightning got 23 games for abusing officials and leaving the penalty box to fight in a pre-season game against the Washington Capitals in 2000.

Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals got 21 games for a hit on Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders while Turgeon celebrated a goal in the 1993 playoffs.

Steve Downie of the Philadelphia Flyers got 20 games for deliberately targeting the head with a body check on Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in 2007.

Tom Lysiak of the Chicago Blackhawks got 20 games for intentionally tripping a linesman in 1983.

Brad May of the Phoenix Coyotes got 20 games for a slash to the head of Columbus' Steve Heinze in 2000.

Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins got 16 games for hitting Toronto's Ace Bailey over the head with his stick in 1933. He hit him from behind, knocked him unconscious, and ended his career.

Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens got 15 games, including 12 in the playoffs, for knocking down linesman Cliff Thompson during a scuffle with Boston's Hal Laycoe in 1955.

Wilf Paiement of the Colorado Rockies got 15 games for swinging his stick and hitting Detroit's Dennis Polonich in the face back in 1978.

Dave Brown of the Philadelphia Flyers got 15 games for cross-checking Tomas Sandstrom of the New York Rangers across the face and breaking his jaw in 1987.

Tony Granato of the Los Angeles Kings got 15 games for slashing Pittsburgh's Neil Wilkinson in February, 1994.

Wayne Maki of the St. Louis Blues and Ted Green of the Boston Bruins both got 13 games for swinging their sticks at each other in September, 1969.

Andre Roy of the Tampa Bay Lightning got 13 for leaving the penalty box and physically abusing an official while trying to engage players in the New York Rangers' penalty box in 2002.

Brantt Myhres of the San Jose Sharks got 12 for leaving the bench to attack Mattias Norstrom of the Los Angeles Kings in February, 1999.

Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings got 12 for deliberately injuring the New York Rangers' Jeff Beukeboom in 1998. Beukeboom suffered a concussion and never played again.

Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers got 12 for attacking Montreal's Chris Chelios during a playoff game in May, 1989.

David Shaw of the New York Rangers got 12 for high-sticking Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux in 1988

Owen Nolan of the San Jose Sharks got 11 for a hit to the head of the Dallas Stars' Grant Marshall in 2001.

Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs got 11 games for knocking out Scott Niedermayer with an elbow to the head during the 2001 playoffs.

Jimmy Mann of the Winnipeg Jets got 10 games for sucker-punching Pittsburgh's Paul Gardner 1982.

Ruslan Salei of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks got 10 for hitting Dallas' Mike Modano from behind in 1999.

Scott Niedermayer of the New Jersey Devils got 10 for hitting Florida's Peter Worrell in the head with his stick in 2000.

Sean Avery got an indefinite suspension, which turned into a six-game suspension from the NHL, and was not invited back to play for his team, the Dallas Stars, for saying "sloppy seconds" on TV.