Red Wings Very Critical Of Ex-teammate Avery

DETROIT -- Sean Avery was a hard-nosed, scrappy little player with a knack for getting under opponents' skin, and flashed some hockey skills, too, while breaking into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings seven years ago.
But he also was a ticking time bomb due to his sharp tongue and controversial antics.

The Red Wings traded Avery in 2003. He remains close to some of their players, who again were reminded of his notorious nature following a disparaging comment the Dallas Stars forward made about a former girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert, who is dating Calgary's Dion Phaneuf.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suspended Avery pending a hearing today -- putting in doubt his status for the Dec. 12 game against Detroit. Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood said the ban is justified.
'If he's not (suspended) it opens up another door for what players can say, and it's going to get out of control,' Osgood said. 'It's not just adults watching what we say, kids watch what we say on TV. It's a degrading comment. You can't say that about women and can't let boys think that's all right to say about women, or anybody in general.'
Following Tuesday's morning skate in Calgary, Avery summoned reporters in the dressing room and said on camera: 'I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my (crude remark about former girlfriends). I don't know what that's about.'
Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, who coached Avery for two seasons in Cincinnati (AHL), said: 'There's no place in our game for that, it's totally unacceptable. I feel terrible for the young girl. It deserves no more attention.'
Avery issued an apology on Wednesday, saying in a statement: 'I should not have made those comments and digital camera macro I recognize that they were inappropriate. I am now acutely aware of how hurtful my actions were. I caused unnecessary embarrassment to my peers as well as people I have been close with in the past.'
Chris Chelios said he had to kick Avery out of his house after living with him for three weeks during the NHL lockout in 2004-05, when they were playing for the UHL's Motor City Mechanics.
'He turned my house upside down,' Chelios said. 'It was funny, but after a while ... '
Chelios said 'anything goes on the ice,' but added, 'there are certain lines you don't cross.
'I wouldn't listen to anything he says, because sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's just dumb,' Chelios said. 'He was never a problem here. He said dumb things, but we had such a veteran team, guys like Mac (Darren McCarty) and Shanny (Brendan Shanahan) would straighten him out if he stepped out of line.
'Hopefully, he won't miss too much time and he'll learn his lesson. He's not a bad kid, he's just had bad judgment once in a while.'
Kris Draper trains with Avery for a few weeks every summer in Toronto. He echoed Chelios' sentiments that Avery is 'a good guy' with poor judgment. But Draper questioned whether a comment deserved the same punishment as a dirty on-ice hit.
'The one thing I've always said about Aves is, if he would just keep his mouth shut and play the game he'd be a very effective hockey player,' Draper said. 'I've tried to tell him that. I'm sure I haven't been the only one.'
Stars co-general manager Brett Hull, who lived with Avery when they were teammates in Detroit, signed Avery to a four-year, $15.5 million free-agent contract in July. Dallas is off to a horrible start, and Avery appears to have disrupted team chemistry.
'After a while it gets tiresome, it becomes a distraction for the team, constantly talking about what he's going to do next,' Osgood said. 'From some of the comments their players are saying, I think they've grown tired of it a little bit.'
Wings miss Luongo again
The Red Wings tonight host a Vancouver team that's missing its No. 1 goaltender, Roberto Luongo, due to a groin injury, and might not have its backup, Curtis Sanford, either. Rookie Cory Schneider could get the start, after Sanford left Monday's game in Columbus because of back pain.
Due to a scheduling quirk, this is the fourth and final meeting of the season between these clubs. Detroit has yet to face Nashville, Colorado, Minnesota, Dallas or Phoenix in the West. The Canucks have won twice in overtime, including 3-2 on Nov. 24 with Sanford in net, and the Red Wings won once in regulation.
Hospital visit boosts spirits
The Red Wings made their annual visit to Children's Hospital of Michigan after practice Wednesday, handing out gifts and camera monitor memorabilia to ailing kids.
'I believe one of the gifts of our profession is giving you a certain amount of notoriety that you're allowed to help other people, and explosion proof camera one of the things I cherish the most,' Babcock said. 'These kids battle hard and they're an inspiration to all of us. I really believe the toughest thing you'll ever see with kids like that is their parents and what a burdenblow it is for them. It's a thrill to go over there to see the kids' faces light up.'


Read more about camera discrete on top sites:

camera
dpreview
bhphotovideo