Tuesday at the Links… The No Hockey League and "Sloppy Seconds"

Good morning and there are now roughly 32 days until the University of North Dakota plays it’s first exhibition game against the Manitoba Bison.

Former Maine Star and current Tampa Bay Lightning forward Teddy Percell says that the lockout is going to hurt the players. [CBC.CA]

"Sloppy Seconds"

Here is a story that is just too good to pass up. Toronto Maples Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf is now engaged to former 24 actress Elisha Cuthbert– in case anyone has forgotten, Cuthbert was the center of a crude and disparaging comments that Sean Avery made about her while he was a member of the Dallas Stars.

"Uh, I'm really happy to be back in Calgary, Avery said. "I love Canada."

"And 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 sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. "Enjoy the game tonight."

Avery was suspended indefinitely by the NHL for those comments and after his suspension he was traded to the New York Rangers and he has since retired from the NHL.

Here is all you need to know about the star studed engagement - Exclusive: Elisha Cuthbert Engaged to Dion Phaneuf: All the Details!

Lockout Talk

If this doesn’t sink for you - The Ottawa Senators have begun preparing their fans for the strong possibility of an NHL lockout.

Former Minnesota Duluth Bulldog and current Vancouver Canuck defenseman Jason Garrisonis growing a beard and he says that he'll keep the beard until the National Hockey League and its players sign a new CBA. Garrison might have to trim that beard or it could get pretty long.

The on going saga that is the Phoenix Coyotes; deal with Glendale in flux .

Misc stuff

While we are on the subject of the Phoenix Coyotes; Though ownerless, Coyotes have shown signs of staying power...

Apparently, Wayne Gretzky 'dreamed' of second Summit Series... [The Observer]

From ESPN yesterday - Bloomberg Businessweek has its annual ranking of the smartest spenders in sports. Check out the Smartest and worst spenders...

Smartest spenders:
1. Detroit Red Wings
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Boston Bruins
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. San Jose Sharks

Worst spenders:
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Edmonton Oilers
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. Calgary Flames
5. Minnesota Wild

Here is the defending Stanley Cup Champions National TV schedule "if" there is a season. [LA Kings Insider]

University of North Dakota Defenseman Andrew MacWilliam made the latest Hot List.

Andrew MacWilliam, D – University of North Dakota (WCHA) Never to be confused with an offensive dynamo, MacWilliam has nonetheless been a sturdy, physical presence on the UND blueline during his first three campaigns. Entering his final year in college, the Calgary native will don the green sweater as captain, with Habs prospect Danny Kristo as one of the assistants. Drafted 188th overall by Toronto in 2008.

Color me surprised, Stu Bickel mixing it up in the NHL...

Gopher fans must be pleased that one of their former players is making an impression in the NHL preseason, albeit in a negative way. One of my least favorite Golden Gopher hockey players of all time; Stu Bickel. I suppose that this will be one of the only ways this guy will be able to stick/play in the NHL, being a third defensive pairing and having to fight on a regular basis to stay in the line up.

Related articles

• NHL bad boy Sean Avery accuses Simmonds of uttering gay slur (thestar.com)
• Rangers GM Sather optimistic Staal head-ed toward recovery (nypost.com)

Sean Avery challenging cops to a fight is anti social behavior…

Image via WikipediaIn looking at his latest incident, I have to say that Sean Avery is a major league douche bag that just doesn’t learn. My first question is; how many second chances does this clown get? You can almost bet that Avery will be having a talk with the Rangers and the NHL front office.

TMZ.COM --- NHL star Sean Avery challenged cops to a FIGHT when they responded to his Hollywood Hills home this morning ... calling them, "Fat little pigs" ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We're told cops were dispatched to the home over a complaint about loud music --and when they arrived to Avery's pad, the hockey star was NOT happy to see them.

Sources tell us 31-year-old Avery immediately began running his mouth at the cops -- telling them he would fight all of them ... even challenging them to, "Come back without your badges."

First; I would like to say that Sean Avery is very, very lucky; because his random act of stupidity should have cause him to be tased by the Hollywood Hills cops that he physically and verbally accosted… Shoving a cop in most states is as serious offense and considered either a felonious or a gross misdemeanor assault and if convicted Avery should go to jail just like the common folks do.

While some might think this is funny, Sean Avery didn't have to verbally and physically assault these policemen, he could have simply told them we will hold the noise down, these cops aren’t paid enough to be berated by a second class jerk like Sean Avery.

If I was the GM of the New York Rangers I would flush this clown turd to the Waiver Wire. Shoving and challenging a police officer(s) to a fight and calling them derogatory names is consider anti-social behavior and is unacceptable in a civilized society.

Related articles

• NHL's Sean Avery accused of shoving LA officer (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Sean Avery Arrested For Shoving A Cop Who Tried Break Up His House Party (businessinsider.com)
• Report: Rangers' Sean Avery Arrested For Shoving Officer In California (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• NHL's Sean Avery accused of shoving LA officer (abclocal.go.com)
• Sean Avery -- Asked Cops for Favor After Calling Them "Fat Little Pigs" (tmz.com)

Rangers and Flyers shenanigans.

The Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Rangers 3-2 last night and there was a lot of extra stuff going on during the game. Check this out move by Flyers forward Danny Briere and Flyers “hack” Scott Hartnell they are actually taking swipes at Rangers forward Brandon Prust as he skates by the Flyers players bench after a big hit on Kimmo Timmonen, that’s straight out of the movie Slap Shot.


Sean Avery you should be ashamed of yourself, first off Matt Carle is not a fighter, second, when your sparring partner hits the ice you stop swinging, its part of the hockey code you don’t keep feeding him a few more rights. Sean “sloppy seconds” Avery should get a couple days on the beach for that bush league move, I think it would be an understatement to say that Avery is a two bit knuckle head. That was the first ever fight for Matt Carle, I guess if you can call getting fed a couple of right while you're laying on the ice a fight.

Lindsay Lohan's latest club tantrum

I saw this on another blog and I thought I would share it with you. Why does it seem like trouble always follows Sean Avery around?

Lindsay Lohan started another fight in a club -- this time with New York Ranger skaters Aaron Voros and Sean Avery at 1Oak. The troubled starlet threw a drink over Voros' model girlfriend, Jessica Stam, and then tried to get all three thrown out of the Wildfox fall-collection party the other night. A spy relates, "Lindsay threw a fit because she wanted to be at their table near the DJ. But she claimed she didn't want to sit with Aaron and said, 'He's my ex-boyfriend. I don't want him anywhere near me.' Voros denied knowing her. A drink then flew in Jessica's face, and Lindsay demanded their table be moved out. Club bosses refused and tried to calm her down. Stam, Voros and Avery were shocked but didn't retaliate, and Lindsay left shortly afterward." We await Lohan's inevitable denial, but we have multiple witnesses. A different source said "Lindsay threw a fit. There was total drama for absolutely no reason." [Link to the story]

Sean Avery punches Simeon Varlamov

I am so glad that Sean Avery is back in the NHL it gives us something to talk about and he is quite entertaining to watch. I guess you could also say that Sean "sloppy seconds" Avery is up to his old tricks again taking an impressive 4 minors and a ten minute misconduct.

The more entertaining fact is Avery is talking smack to a person that speak no english at all.

More of the Avery and Thomas incident.

This what Tim Thomas had to say about Sean "Sloppy Seconds" Avery smacking Tim Thomas to the back of his head with his Hockey stick as Thomas was stretching during a TV timeout. What part of that is socially unacceptable does Avery not understand?

"You look up and see who it is," recalled Thomas, "and you're like, 'You've got to be kidding me.' So it was just reflex."
---------snip-----------
Thomas decided to answer this one for himself. "There are some lines that can't be crossed," said Thomas, who graciously gave Avery credit for his gritty, and usually fair, play around the net during the times when there weren't TV timeouts. "He has a hard time figuring out what the lines are."

This is what the Rangers coach John Tortorella had to say about Tim Thomas after took matter into his own hands. Just for the record John I can't believe you think Thomas deserved an extra penalty, the reason he was the aggressor was that he was just whacked a goalie in a vulnerable position in the back of the head by one of your head cases Sean Avery.

Tortorella took issue after the game with the fact that the referees didn't come down harder on Thomas for jumping Avery. During the game's final TV timeout, Thomas had taken a knee between the circles when Avery skated by and raked the back of his head with his stick. Thomas chased after him, pushed him from behind and touched off a melee that ended up with matching minors for Avery (unsportsmanlike conduct) and Thomas (roughing).

"There has to be an extra one given to Thomas," Tortorella said, calling him "the aggressor" on the play, even though Avery - who dodged reporters after the game - could just as easily have put the Rangers shorthanded when they couldn't afford it.

Avery going back to the Rangers?

Being a Bruins fans I have to admit that I enjoy watching the Rangers fumble their current bad streak.

Here is one perspective by the NY Post writer Larry Brooks that says the Rangers need Sean Avery back. Ah yes; Sean Avery the gift that just keeps on giving. Personally, I think that Sean is great for the Rangers and that they are a match made in heaven. It gives the fans in the Eastern conference a villain to hate. The NHL needs Sean Avery because he sells tickets and gives the fans some drama/soap opera to follow. Think about it. The guys is a tough guy that is interested in fashion and wrote for Vogue magazine. I dare someone to call him a sissy, Avery will pop you in the face.

The Rangers have a negative-eight goal differential. They have been outscored in every period. They have been outscored at even-strength and are just even on the specialty teams. They are 1-6 in their last seven games decided in regulation, 2-8 in the last 10.

But they like each other! They really like each other!

The Rangers are smooth, like a snow globe. The best teams find the way to incorporate jagged edges into their room and into their equation, the way the Rangers were able to do with Avery.

What happened in Dallas, happened. It's clear that there's one team and one team only for which Avery can play; one city and one city only big enough for him to live; one coach and one coach only - the one behind the Rangers bench - for whom Avery can play.

The mechanics of making it happen are hazy. But those are mere details. The Rangers need an infusion of energy. The Rangers need someone who actually will be tough to play against. The Rangers need Avery almost as badly as he needs them, and if anybody doesn't like it, he should be playing better.

Because this is pretty much it was before Avery became a Ranger . . . the first time.

More Sean Avery...

Someone sent me this story, this one is too good to pass up. You almost have to wonder if Avery is going to be a distraction with the Dallas Stars this winter. You can't make this stuff up, Avery is like this vain male model trapped in a hockey players body.

New Line producing Avery film -- Chronicles hockey player who became a Vogue intern...
By Borys Kit
TORONTO -- Do real men wear Prada?

New Line Cinema will presumably answer that question in a film about professional hockey player Sean Avery's experiences in the fashion world, including his stint as a summer intern at a fashion magazine.

Avery, who considers himself something of a fashion jock, in May began a summer internship at Vogue, where, among other duties, he served as guest editor of MensVogue.com.

New Line, which is developing and will produce a big-screen account of his experiences in the fashion world and the relationships he made there, has hired ICM-repped Stan Chervin to write the screenplay. Contrafilms' Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson, who were behind New Line's sleeper hit "Journey to the Center of the Earth," will produce.

Avery, also repped by ICM, was a member of the NHL's New York Rangers at the time of the internship; he's since signed with the Dallas Stars. Avery told The Hollywood Reporter he's always been a fashionista. "I was always trying to be the best-dressed kid in school," he said.

Avery said that though his experiences made for great storytelling, it was his friends that pushed him into Holly wood's stylish threads. Lauryn Flynn, a friend and director of celebrity services at Burberry, brought the idea to her brother, Beau. Lauryn Flynn will co-produce.

The movie will be a romantic comedy.

Avery, an instigator and fighter who piles up penalty minutes, said he took some razzing for the experiences but has learned not to worry about the stereotypes of sport.

"I think it's great to be into something that you care about," he said. "But I'm still an athlete who likes to beat the crap out of people."

Links to the Story:
Also check out the Devil Wears Prada Ice Skates.
Devil Wears Prada gets cross checked.