New York Rangers’ centre Sean Avery will officially announce retirement at end of season-NHL News
A day after unconfirmed reports hit the market that New York Rangers’ centre, Sean Avery, was calling it a day from the professional league, the player has refused to dispute his comments that had triggered the talk around the retirement plan.
Avery, during a part of the Bravo TV's "Watch What Happens Live" programme, a day earlier, remarked that he was going to retire from the professional hockey.
His comments triggered the heated debate with contradictory reports and speculations started circulating around all the corners of the National Hockey League (NHL).
A majority of commentators, however, discarded the talk straightaway given that the player is capable of generating such hype, as proven from his past record, which more or less is marred with such controversies.
Even his agent could not believe that his client could be serious about calling it quits from the game and said he must have been joking.
Now, the client has proven himself to be true to his comments, as according to the latest media reports, the player has refused to dispute the retirement talk.
However, he said he would make an official announcement after the end of the present season, when his current deal with Rangers runs out.
Avery will have to forfeit the remaining money of his $15.5 million four-year deal with Rangers if he announces retirement at this stage.
So, the player has wisely saved the amount while conveying goodbye message to the game for good, loudly and clearly.
Rangers, who were silent a day earlier, said that since the player has not filed the retirement papers with the league, they do not have any comments on the decision at this stage.
His agent, Pat Morris, who until Tuesday believed that the player must be joking, has not said anything in response to the latest reports, which have endorsed the validity of the retirement plans.
Reports of the player’s retirement first surfaced on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, when the host of the TV show, Andy Cohen, posed a viewer’s question to Avery:
"Sean, what are your thoughts about your hockey future?"
After for a moment the player replied "I am officially retired; I threw my skates in the Hudson [River]."
At that moment, nothing much came out from the player, Rangers’ management and the player’s agent which could determine the credibility of the comment.
However, media outlets were not satisfied with the sketchy remarks that had come into rejection and acceptance of the player’s claim and chased him around for a while.
Finally, the player confirmed in his email to a media section that his retirement plan was deadly serious and he is only waiting for his contract to expire this season before he makes departure from the professional hockey official.
Tags: