Does Avery Have Brain Damage?

1) Normally we would gravitate to a player such as Avery. He is a pest on the ice. Creates/agitates and always makes games he's in interesting. We have made mention of him in a positive way in the past. http://newfaux.blogspot.com/2008/04/dumb-avery-rule.html He's also not a bad hockey player when he wants to be. However some recent information that we have been told/read makes us wonder if Avery isn't just an on-ice pest, but a potential menace who has some serious emotional issues.


2) Also normally players such as Avery are favourites in their own dressing room. As loved by the their own team mates as they are hated by the opposition. The difference here though is that Avery seems to be hated by just about everybody. He wore out his welcome in LA forcing a deal that sent him to the Rangers. Avery’s acerbic play on and off the ice initially proved effective on the Great White Way – some Ranger fans were anything but happy at the time of the trade. Most Kings fans saw the deal as "addition by subtraction." The expiration date on Avery had long since passed in Los Angeles. One Kings blog wrote at the time "Lombardi (Kings GM) would have been the winner of the deal if he got back a bag of pucks and two broken sticks for Avery."


3) Once on Broadway Avery appeared to have found a home. He enjoyed considerable success, putting up career highs in goals and points for the Blue shirts. The teams record without him was abysmal. Making it appear that Sean was the second most valuable player (behind King Hank Lundqvist). However behind the scenes things weren't nearly as rosy. Avery was 'tolerated' as one player told us. Never accepted really. Brendan Shanahan couldn't stand him, and as the defacto team captain had more than a few run-ins with the super-pest. You can bet if Avery was a solid citizen Rangers GM Glen Sather would have made every effort to resign Sean.


4) It should be said that the Dallas Stars knew very well who they were getting when they signed Avery to an incredibly short sighted (stupid) 4 year, 16 million dollar contract. As we mentioned earlier, IF Avery were loved by his team mates and not such a distraction he would be worth it. When we hear Stars owner Tom Hicks acting so sanctimonious about Avery we LOL. Tom you're full of shit. You got what you deserved. Its not like NHL owners are a well respected group these days. http://newfaux.blogspot.com/2008/09/reasons-players-distrust-owners.html


5) To reiterate, we disagree whole heartily with the inane suspension given out by Bettman last week for admittedly stupid remarks. We especially find the sending Avery to 'anger management classes' beyond dumb. Did Avery look 'angry' when he made the sloppy seconds statement? LOL However after consulting with a few mental health experts almost all told FAUXRUMORS that they believe Avery may very well suffer from Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD). One source told us that Avery has all the appearance of possessing this disorder and would be "seriously at risk to inflict serious physical and psychological harm on others, but more ominously would be at greatly increased risk for incarceration, injury,depression, substance abuse, and death by homicide or suicide." They went on to say that unlike other psychological illnesses APD doesn't have readily successful treatments such as medication.


6) Which leads us to what do the Stars do now? Coach Tippett has come out to say he doesn't want Avery back. Hicks has blasted him publicly. A source tells us its a 100% chance that Avery won't don a Dallas sweater ever again! So now what?

• To unload Avery's $3.875 salary this season, the Stars could place Avery on waivers and if he clears, send him to the American Hockey League. The Stars have a partial affiliation with the Manitoba Moose and currently have five Dallas players on their AHL roster; however the Moose have made it clear they are not interested in providing a place for Avery to play. Moose owner Mark Chipman has stated, ''We wouldn't take him under any circumstance.''



• The trade option is available, but who would take him? A rumour floating around these days says the New York Rangers, were interested in dealing defenseman Michal Rozsival and his four-year, $20-million deal to Dallas in exchange for Avery. The source suggested Avery would then be sent to the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford. Of course the Rangers would do this to clear cap space to sign Mats Sundin to add some potency to their anemic offense. This is possible, but far fetched.



• The Stars are trying to find a loophole in the contract that could make Avery's contract void. If that happens, expect the NHLPA to cause a huge stink about it, and that could get very ugly. A source within the NHLPA tells us that they would have to take this issue on despite the possible PR ramifications. They tell us that the team would have trouble proving the case nonetheless.


• The also could try to place Avery on LTIR with his 'emotional issues" being the reason. The Stars still have to pay Avery the rest of this season,have him go to 'counseling' with the probable intent of buying out (at 2/3) the remaining money. Of course Avery would have to agree on that option.
  

7) We believe that Avery has played his last NHL game, and based upon what we heard from mental health experts Sean's future is probably going to from bad to worse! Editors Note: Look for our latest (week 10) of our Weekly Picks. As always keep it here for all the latest!