Is Sean Avery Good For The NHL?

Sean Avery has NO respect for anyone in the NHL. He's a pest, he's dirty, he's cheap, and most of all he's fearless. Combine these things with a little talent, and you've got a player most teams in the NHL want to have. As much as I hate to say it, Sean Avery will be around until he decides to retire.

He showed some of his antics in the limited time he spent in Detroit, and continued them full force when he was in Los Angeles. His lack of respect was so evident, and to the Kings credit they weren't going to put up with it.

They made a statement, and sat him for the last part of the 05-06 season. I was ecstatic that a team would make a statement like that to a player."Make a change, or you're not going to play." Amazingly enough, it worked...for a while. He was playing with more respect, yet still playing hard.

He cut his penalty minutes in half, and kept his point production up. I gained some respect for Avery at his ability to make that change. Then he was traded to the Rangers, and the old Sean Avery was back.

In New York, they must have told him to go back to what he was before. He started agitating, and being the jerk that got him in trouble before. He has a bigger platform in New York to show off, and is almost praised for it.

It's frustrating beyond words.

But as time passes and the more Sean Avery ends up in the media because of another thing he's done, I have to ask myself; is he or isn't he good for the league?

This is a league that has the occasional bad boy, but everyone is pretty clean. No one is arrested for drug trafficking, possession, or for shooting anyone. So if we have a guy that causes disturbances the way Avery does, I think we're doing alright. As long as he stays within the rules, I'm starting to think he might be good for the competition in the league.

Everyone is now aware of the way Avery is on and off the ice. He didn't get the ice time to be a Super Pest playing in Detroit, and Los Angeles doesn't get the same media attention. But he sure does get the limelight on Broadway.

I really don't like the way he flips the bird to the camera whenever he gets the chance, but he sure brings a lot of attention to the NHL, and I don't think that is a bad thing.

I am glad that the NHL has gone away from players that make the team just as an agitator or goon. No roster spot can be wasted, and Avery has earned his spot.

He doesn't put up all star numbers, but can contribute 10-20 goals a season, when combined with 150-200 PIM is something any team would take in a 2nd or 3rd liner. Plus he showed he could produce in the playoffs which is almost more valuable that any of the points he put up in the regular season.

If I ever had something good to say about Avery, it would be that he is creative. His stance in front of Martin Brodeur waving his stick was genius. Until that point, you couldn't call a penalty for it. He found a loop hole, and as short as it was, he did take advantage of it!

I haven't been a Sean Avery fan, and I was hoping his time in the league would  be short. After Dallas signed him for almost $16 Million over 4 years, I realized it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, so why not embrace it. Besides, it will be that much more satisfying to beat the Dallas Stars.