Sean Avery Joins The Legends of The New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a legendary team with many legendary players, such as Eddie Giacomin, Gump Worsley, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Jaromir Jagr.

Sean Avery is now, the latest to join this legendary group.

The Rangers were one of the Original Six and they were the first American team to win the Stanley Cup.

The long list of Rangers legends includes lots of very famous names, including:    

    ▪    1 Eddie Giacomin: G, 1965-75: Number retired on March 15, 1989;
    ▪    2 Brian Leetch: D, 1987-2004: Number retired on Jan. 24, 2008;
    ▪    3 Harry Howell: D, 1952-69: Number retired on Feb. 22, 2009;
    ▪    7 Rod Gilbert: RW, 1961-78: Number retired on Oct. 14, 1979;
    ▪    9 Adam Graves: LW, 1991-2001: Number retired on Feb. 3, 2009;
    ▪    9 Andy Bathgate: RW, 1952-64: Number retired on Feb. 22, 2009;
    ▪    11 Mark Messier: LW/C, 1991-97 and 2000-04—number retired on Jan. 12, 2006;
    ▪    35 Mike Richter: G, 1989-2003—number retired on Feb. 4, 2004;
    ▪    99 Wayne Gretzky: C, 1996-99—number retired league-wide by NHL on Feb. 6, 2000.

It also includes these Hall-of-Famers:
    ▪    Glenn Anderson: RW, 1994, inducted 2008
    ▪    Andy Bathgate: C, 1952–63, inducted 1978
    ▪    Doug Bentley: LW, 1953–54, inducted 1964
    ▪    Max Bentley: C, 1953–54, inducted 1966
    ▪    Frank Boucher: C, 1926–44, inducted 1958
    ▪    Johnny Bower: G, 1953–54, inducted 1976
    ▪    Neil Colville: C, 1936–49, inducted 1967
    ▪    Bill Cook: RW, 1926–37, inducted 1952
    ▪    Bun Cook: LW, 1926–36, inducted 1995
    ▪    Art Coulter: D, 1935–42, inducted 1974
    ▪    Marcel Dionne: LW, 1986–89, inducted 1992
    ▪    Dick Duff: LW, 1964–65, inducted 2006
    ▪    Phil Esposito: C, 1975–81, inducted 1984
    ▪    Bill Gadsby: D, 1954–61, inducted 1970
    ▪    Mike Gartner: RW, 1990–94, inducted 2001
    ▪    Bernie Geoffrion: RW, 1966–68, inducted 1972
    ▪    Eddie Giacomin: G, 1965–75, inducted 1987
    ▪    Rod Gilbert: RW, 1960–78, inducted 1982
    ▪    Wayne Gretzky: C, 1996–99, inducted 1999
    ▪    Doug Harvey: D, 1961–62, 1963–64, inducted 1973
    ▪    Bryan Hextall: LW, 1936–48, inducted 1969
    ▪    Tim Horton: D, 1970–71, inducted 1977
    ▪    Harry Howell: D, 1952–69, inducted 1979
    ▪    Ching Johnson: D, 1926–37, inducted 1958
    ▪    Jari Kurri: LW, 1996, inducted 2001
    ▪    Guy Lafleur: RW, 1988–89, inducted 1988
    ▪    Pat LaFontaine: C, 1997–98, inducted 2003
    ▪    Edgar Laprade: D, 1945–55, inducted 1993
    ▪    Harry Lumley: G, 1943, inducted 1980
    ▪    Mark Messier: C, 1991–1997, 2000–2004, inducted 2007
    ▪    Howie Morenz: C, 1935–36, inducted 1945
    ▪    Buddy O'Connor: C, 1947–51, inducted 1988
    ▪    Brad Park: D, 1968–75, inducted 1988
    ▪    Lynn Patrick: LW, 1934–43, 1945–46, inducted 1980
    ▪    Jacques Plante: G, 1963–65, inducted 1978
    ▪    Babe Pratt: D, 1936–42, inducted 1966
    ▪    Jean Ratelle: LW, 1960–75, inducted 1985
    ▪    Chuck Rayner: G, 1945–55, inducted 1973
    ▪    Glen Sather: LW, 1970–73, inducted 1997
    ▪    Terry Sawchuk: G, 1969–70, inducted 1971
    ▪    Babe Siebert: LW, 1932–35, inducted 1964
    ▪    Earl Siebert: D, 1931–36, inducted 1963
    ▪    Allan Stanley: D, 1948–54, inducted 1981
    ▪    Clint Smith: C, 1937–43, inducted 1991
    ▪    Gump Worsley: G, 1952–63, inducted 1980

Is Sean Avery a future Hockey Hall Of Famer?

Will his No. 16 be retired one day?

That remains to be seen, but there is little question he has already joined the ranks of New York Rangers legends.

The Avery legend began when he joined the team and gave them a spark, two long years ago.

Coming from the L.A. Kings, where he led the league in penalties for two-years, he played with a passion that made him a fan favorite.

Instead of being the most penalized player in the NHL, he became the best "pest."

He scored 18 goals one year and scored some big ones in the regular season and the playoffs two-years in a row.

The creation of the Avery Rule has guaranteed him a kind of immortality and status as a legend.

His comeback this year is another chapter in the Avery story, particularly because he has sparked the team again and re-energized Madison Square Garde.

The team ended its longest skid in four decades and went on a winning streak after Avery arrived. He shared the credit with the Rangers new coach, John Tortorella, as well as Nik Antropov and Derek Morris.

Avery's return to the Rangers affiliate in the AHL, the Hartford Wolf Pack, is the stuff of a legend.

The team went on a six game win streak with Avery in the lineup and that was their longest string of victories so far that year. When he rejoined the Rangers, they won three in a row.

Avery earned a promotion from the third line to the first with all the energy he brought to the team.

He turned around Tortorella's opinion of him as a hockey player and when the coach put him on the starting line he responded by scoring more than a goal a game for three games in a row.

The NHL and the Rangers wanted Avery to change or evolve, in the same way the league was trying to change.

He went from playing the role of hockey villain to becoming a hockey hero.

Instead of the role of agitator, which earned him the nicknames "Superpest" and King of the Agitators, he took on the role of drawing penalties, getting goals and assists, adding energy, toughness, presence, and swagger to a talent-rich team that had been playing lackluster hockey.

New York is 53-22-16 with Avery in the lineup…and counting.

That is how he became one of the legends of the New York Rangers.