Sean Avery
Sean Avery was not selected in the NHL Entry Draft. In 1999, he was signed by the Detroit Red Wings and broke into the NHL, playing 36 games during the 2001-2002 NHL season. In the 2002-2003 NHL season, the Los Angeles Kings traded Mathieu Schneider to the Detroit Red Wings for Avery, Maxim Kuznetsov, a first round selection in 2003 and a second round selection in 2004. Avery finished the season with 15 points in 51 games.
Avery is probably best known for his attitude, as he has been accused several times of saying disparaging things to other players. He was accused of racism a few times and is known for avoiding fights after enraging opposing enforcers. Near the end of the 2005-2006 NHL season, the Kings decided to suspend Avery, stating that he would not be with the team for the remainder of the year. In July of 2006, however, the Kings avoided arbitration with him and signed him to a one year deal.
February 2007 saw Avery moved to the New York Rangers. Because of his style of play, Avery has made many enemies in the NHL. In a 2007 poll of 283 NHL players, 66.4% said that Sean Avery was the most hated player in the league. He has drawn criticism for his overly aggressive play and his tendency to cost his team excessive penalty time at unnecessary moments. Avery is a pest as far as most players are considered and brings very little offensive value to his team.
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