Edmonton Oilers unhappy with Sean Avery’s actions in recent game
Add the Edmonton Oilers to the growing list of people who are unimpressed with the actions of New York Rangers forward Sean Avery.
During an afternoon game played between the two teams on Sunday 14 November, defenceman Ladislav Smid of the Oilers goaded Avery into a fight after Avery had levelled team-mate, Colin
Fraser, with a big hit.
At first, Avery declined Smid’s invitation to fight, but then he rebounded and jumped onto Smid’s back and punched him, knocking him to the ice. As a result, Smid would later leave the
game with a concussion.
When all was said and done, the on-ice officials had given out 124 minutes’ worth of penalties, and four players were ejected from the game. Avery was among the four ejected players.
“It’s gutless,” Fraser told
TSN.ca. “That’s expected from Sean Avery, it’s no secret.”
What angered Fraser and the Oilers even more was how Avery turned on his heel and attacked Smid from behind.
“(Laddy) asked him fair and square, one-on-one, man-on-man. He (Avery) says, ‘No, we’ll go later,’ and Laddy’s half turned and he decides to jump him. I don’t think any man would do that.
A man has his chance one-on-one, and I think he (Avery) crossed the line.”
No suspensions were handed out as a result of the brawl, but Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky was given a fine for attempting to grab Fraser from the Oilers’ bench. The amount of the fine
was not disclosed.
Theo Peckham, another of Fraser’s team-mates, was also unimpressed with Avery’s jump on Smid.
“It’s tough to say how he does keep getting away with it,” the defenceman remarked. “He keeps taking liberties with other guys, and nobody seems to take a cheap shot at him yet. It’s
well overdue, I’d say.”
Erik Christensen of the Rangers also provided his analysis on Avery’s hit.
“It looked to me like he suckered him; I’m not going to deny it," Christensen told
The New York Post. “I mean, everyone could see.”
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