Sean Avery's Return to Rangers on Broadway Gets Mixed Reviews

Some call it March Madness, but Sean Avery is expected to clear re-entry waivers today, rejoin the New York Rangers, and play Thursday against the New York Islanders.

Martin Brodeur made a great comeback to rave reviews last week, with shutouts in two of his first three games after missing 50 games with an injury. He recorded shutout No. 100 for his career.

In contrast, Avery's comeback is getting mixed reviews.

Eric Francis of the Edmonton Sun said," I love fighting in hockey, I want Sean Avery back in the NHL, and I couldn't care less that baseball players juice up."

Allan Maki of the Globe and Mail called Avery an endearing pest. He pointed out that, to join the Rangers, Avery will have to be passed up by every team below New York in the standings. Considering Avery's reputation and the three more years and no-trade clause in his contract, there is a good possibility that he will join the Rangers.

"Necessity is the mother of dementia," said Filip Bondy from the Daily News. "So, the Rangers this week will likely pick up good old wacky Sean Avery, hoping to boost their hormone levels along with their standing."

He called the Rangers "a dull bunch" and Avery "the ultimate provocateur."

Bondi says Avery's face-guarding on Martin Brodeur during the playoffs last spring was an inspired ploy that lifted Avery from a garden variety pest to something far weightier on the villain scale. "When they start writing rules to stop you, you're no goon. You're the Joker himself," he claimed.
.
He predicted that Avery will be greeted by the desperate, goal-starved Garden crowd as the reincarnation of Mark Messier.

Dallas Stars co-general manager Les Jackson confirmed the franchise will place agitator Sean Avery on re-entry waivers Monday.

The Stars signed the hockey "bad boy" to a four-year, $15.5 million contract last summer after he spent the previous one-and-a-half seasons in New York.

However, Avery was banished from the Stars' locker room after his "sloppy seconds" comment resulted in a six-game suspension by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for "conduct detrimental to the league or game of hockey." 

Still, Avery's behavior is not that detrimental in relation to Dallas Stars forward Steve Ott's actions:

Dallas Stars forward Steve Ott was suspended indefinitely without pay by the NHL on Sunday pending a hearing for receiving a match penalty in a game against the Anaheim Ducks.

Ott and Anaheim's Travis Moen got into a fight following the Ducks' 4-3 win over Dallas on Saturday afternoon. Ott was given a match penalty for attempting to injure Moen.

In addition, Avery entered a counseling program under the NHL/NHLPA behavioral health program as a prerequisite for his possible return to the NHL.

Avery appears to be a changed man. Since returning to hockey with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL, he has been called diplomatic and even Deepak Chopra on skates.