Sean Avery's "screen" on Martin Brodeur

[joisyan]

I just read that as of today, there was a rule written specifically for the way Sean Avery acted infront of Brodeur.

(as it reads from Yahoo sports)

“An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play,” Colin Campbell, the NHL director of hockey operations said in a statement.

what are everyone's thoughts?

"if in ain't broke don't fix it?"

or were you taken back by what he did?

or do you just think it's funny like me? haha

i definately agree with an unsportsmanlike penalty being given but...it's a little outlandish to make the rule the very next day

[MBurke]

1) It looks silly and childish
2) This is probably not the prominent reason behind the NHL doing it, but it's a huge safety concern.

If other players caught on and this kind of "screen" became commonplace, it's only a matter of time before a young player turns his back to a shot to screen the goaltender, takes one off the spine or the back of the head and suffers severe injuries or even death.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Tim,

I thought it was humorous and stupid and childish, all at the same time. Avery used to be a Los Angeles King, and he left under a cloud. I have a suspicion that he will have a very unhappy life once he is eventually out of the NHL, and I hope that I am wrong.

For me, the bottom line is that he's setting a very bad example for younger players coming up, and I think he probably deserves a suspension of some sort to make him aware that this kind of behavior reflects badly upon both himself and the NHL.

[thompson1ner]

so by the wording of that rule, he could have technically done that same thing and it be legal if he had just turned around and not faced broduer

[PGHhockey]

Yeah, but it defeats Avery's purpose if he turns around to face the play. He can't follow Marty's eyes at that point.

He looked like some ex-high school basketball star that's all coked up and playing streetball, trying to intimidate a shooter.

Funny stuff...

[eXpress19]

How can you say he deserves a suspension when there was no rule in place to outlaw his actions? He was brought to New York to disrupt the other teams top players and that is exactly what he is doing. He is getting in Martin Broduers head, hence the reason Avery has 3 goals in 3 games. This is his style and this is the reason the Rangers have been so dominant over the Devils this season. Sure he looked stupid and childish doing it, but did it work? I think so seeing as how he scored like a minute later...

Just my thoughts.

[DCbullets14]

I dont see a problem with what Avery did. Avery found a way of stretching the rules to his advantage. At no point did he interfere with Brodeur or prevent him from making a save. I thought it was a great screen he got the goalie out of position and forced the devils players to watch him instead of the play.

Last year my team had a similar incident at an AAU tournament. The team we were playing had a guy camp out in front of the net using both hands to cover our goalies mask (without touching him). Its easy to neutralize the advantage this screen provides.....STAY OUTTA THE BOX

Your job while in front of the net is to make it hard for a goalie to see the puck and make saves. Avery stayed out of the crease and didnt break any rules. I dont feel it is right for the NHL to change the rule mid playoffs.

Im just hoping Avery can find a way to stretch the offsides, icing, and 5 on 5 rule. Then we could make some progressive changes to the sport.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Matt,

I guess you're right that my suspension idea was cracked. However, I think this action by Avery crosses a line. It would be similar to a baseball catcher wearing a long spring-loaded contraption on his mask that put a beer can in front of the batter's eyes... lol. Effective, perhaps, but not true to the spirit of the game.

[joisyan]

hey thompson, i agree 100%. i would put money on it, that we'll see avery doing almost the exact same thing (maybe not with his stick) infront of brodeur in the next game, but he'll be facing the play

[siberian khatru]

While I am usually not at all an advocate of retaliatory fighting in the NHL I hope the Devils send Clarkson out tonight to teach Avery a lesson. One great thing about hockey is its unwritten code of conduct. Going against it by standing in front of a goalie facing a two man power play and being a schmuck deserves a good ass-kicking and I hope Avery gets it.

Sure, what he did wasn't against the rules but it was a bush league stunt that has no place in the NHL.

[quick_dry]

I didn't think what he did was so bad - maybe as a ref or nearby player I wouldn't be so happy with him waving the high-stick around, but I don't see a huge differece between deliberately moving your back/ass all over the place to block a goalies vision, and blocking his vision with another part of your body.

[Hockey_Freak]

I just read that as of today, there was a rule written specifically for the way Sean Avery acted infront of Brodeur.

(as it reads from Yahoo sports)

“An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play,” Colin Campbell, the NHL director of hockey operations said in a statement.

what are everyone's thoughts?

"if in ain't broke don't fix it?"

or were you taken back by what he did?

or do you just think it's funny like me? haha

i definately agree with an unsportsmanlike penalty being given but...it's a little outlandish to make the rule the very next day

This rule was ALWAYS there, the interpitation of the rule was changed. And rightly so. What Avery did is BS. But that's Avery. Cheap. There is no need for that type of play, and I for one would have loved to see him catch one to the back of his head. Play the game, stop playing games. He would have been more effective facing the puck, this was a personal thing with Brodeur nothing more.

[quick_dry]

He would have been more effective facing the puck, this was a personal thing with Brodeur nothing more.
Doesn't his effectiveness depend on what his role in front of the net was?

If he was there to provide a deflection, then yes, face the puck.

If you're there to screen and distract the goalie, then you're better off facing him. You can position yourself in front of him much more effectively. Plus if you're quick you don't have to pivot to stuff in a rebound.

Definitely want to make sure your D man on the point keeps his shots low though.

[whjs416]

well im going to dissagree im a ranger fan and averys one of my fav players if the devils want to just let him stay in the front of the net uncontested thats there fault. there should not be any penalty if hes not interfering. i dont see anything wrong with it hey it worked avery got a goal soon after. go RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!

[Hockey_Freak]

well im going to dissagree im a ranger fan and averys one of my fav players if the devils want to just let him stay in the front of the net uncontested thats there fault. there should not be any penalty if hes not interfering. i dont see anything wrong with it hey it worked avery got a goal soon after. go RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!

The goal had nothing to do with what he did. And proves my point, he didn't need to pull that crap in order to get a goal. How would you feel if someone did it to Lundquist ? I think you'd be singing a different tune, a tune that's also known as the Jaromir whine ( the C on his jersey stands for crybaby) Your opinion comes as a Ranger fan, not quite objective. The penalty is unsportsman like not interference. In fact just about everything Avery does is unsportsman like.

[whjs416]

The goal had nothing to do with what he did. And proves my point, he didn't need to pull that crap in order to get a goal. How would you feel if someone did it to Lundquist ? I think you'd be singing a different tune, a tune that's also known as the Jaromir whine ( the C on his jersey stands for crybaby) Your opinion comes as a Ranger fan, not quite objective. The penalty is unsportsman like not interference. In fact just about everything Avery does is unsportsman like.

it def got to Martys head by him doing that, and if that happened to the ragers i would be mad that noone on d cleared him out in front of the net. screening the goaile is part of hockey. if he made contact with the goaile i would understand the agrgument agenst it but no harm no foul.

[RichardGraham]

Hey Guys,

Here's something from Thursday's Los Angeles Times that I think puts the whole "Avery Idiocy" into context:

***

SAVING FACE

The "Sean Avery" rule was implemented Monday by the NHL after the New York Rangers forward unabashedly face-guarded New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, complete with hand and stick waving, during a playoff game.

It's now an unsportsman-like conduct penalty to do what he did, and even Avery's teammates agree on the rule.

"It's a gentleman's game, much like golf," Rangers backup goalie Stephen Valiquette said. "I wouldn't have been happy if it had happened to me... Sean would have been picking his teeth up off the ice if it was me."

Sounds as if Avery might want to start guarding his own face.

***

Do we really need to place a rule or law into place for every action that is over the line to reasonable people?

Sean Avery is a skilled hockey player. It would be great if he'd realize that many of his on-ice actions tarnish his future legacy. Stan Mikita, the Chicago Black Hawks great, once had to explain to his child why he was always in the penalty box. The next season, he won the NHL's Lady Bing award for Most Gentlemanly Player. If Avery ever wins that award, I'll tip my hat... and then I'll eat it.

[PGHhockey]

Why do we continue to bash such a great man? Alright, let's get over the fact that he can't manage to keep his mouth shut. And, let's also forget his childish on-ice tactics. Let's just remember that he's been here and we haven't...

http://www.elisha-cuthbert.konta.waw.pl/galerie/IMAGES/elisha-cuthbert-3.jpg

[siberian khatru]

What do you think Avery waves in her face?

[tommy]

^that might be the funniest thing that anyone has ever posted on this board.^

[quick_dry]

"It's a gentleman's game, much like golf," Rangers backup goalie Stephen Valiquette said. "I wouldn't have been happy if it had happened to me... Sean would have been picking his teeth up off the ice if it was me."
that response doesn't sound very gentlemanlike to me...

[Curious George]

Let's put an example (as people say, my examples are not good or tend to confuse people more, but let me give it a try)

Let's say you are walking with one of your friends (let's assume your friend is a woman), and another guy starts walking behind you and starts talking in a nice behavior to your friend... I believe you would go back to that person and express that doing that is not an appropriate behavior of a gentleman. He ignores you and keep displaying an offensive behavior towards your friend... don't you think that you would have to do something that the guy might get offended (yelling at him to quit it, or I don't know even punching him), do you think that it would be right for him to then turn at you and say that your behavior was not of a gentleman?

I hope you see my point, and I don't think Valiquette is less of a gentleman because he express how would he react on a situation like that... which I doubt he would do in a penalty kill situation, as goalie, I think you try to concentrate more on the play rather than focus on clowns like Avery

[-venom-]

I think it's appalling that none of the Devils broke his face for it, actually.

What ever happened to sticking up for your goalie?

[quick_dry]

sticking up for your goalie if a guy runs him or starts hacking his hand when the puck is covered is one thing, do you break a guys face for screening the keeper? he didn't touch the keeper, he just screened him.

If someone was putting their arse in the keepers face, and bobbing and weaving sufficiently that the gk couldn't see at all - would that warrant a face breaking? or special rule?

Curious George: probably not the best example - but sticking to the golf theme, if you didn't tee off in the orthodox manner - would you expect your fellow golfers to club you in the cods for it? would that be the 'gentlemanly' response?

[-venom-]

sticking up for your goalie if a guy runs him or starts hacking his hand when the puck is covered is one thing, do you break a guys face for screening the keeper? he didn't touch the keeper, he just screened him.

If someone was putting their arse in the keepers face, and bobbing and weaving sufficiently that the gk couldn't see at all - would that warrant a face breaking? or special rule?

Curious George: probably not the best example - but sticking to the golf theme, if you didn't tee off in the orthodox manner - would you expect your fellow golfers to club you in the cods for it? would that be the 'gentlemanly' response?

Maybe not literally break his face, but it's along the same lines as someone pulling the "Michigan" on a goalie.

The defense had better go and lay him our once or twice, get the message across.

[quick_dry]

can someone list the authorised moves one may or may not do in hockey games? or is there a cut off point in time where fancy 'old school' moves are still OK?

(someone needs to start laying out goalkeepers, all this showy splits and flopping about, play hockey like real men and stay in your pad-lock position ;) or anyone who doesn't want to play up-n-down, stay-in-your-lane hockey)

At what degree does someones mastery of puck handling skills become 'the wrong thing to be able to do'?

IMO Michigan is a showy move (though what is with its sudden explosion, I remember it from many years ago, mostly just practice playing with the puck, but all of a sudden it has a name and 'all the kids are trying it') but 9 out of 10 times someone pulls it off the goal should get disallowed for a stick above the crossbar violation on the shot.

Is flipping the puck up and over the d-man you're deking and regathering behind him an 'allowed' move?

[showtime89]

With regards to Avery, I've stayed out of this so far, but I heard he jabbed at the back Fleury's legs at the end of the game. The guy can skate and score, not at a prolific level, but he IS good enough to do it in the NHL. What he does to get under people's skin works, but play hockey for crying out loud. He's an ass clown. It's that simple. When people do the stuff to him, that he does to them, he flips. He could play the game with out that crap and still make it in the NHL. I don't find his antics entertaining or beneficial to the game. And I have no love for the Devils, Rangers or Penguins, so this has nothing to do with that. Just go play hockey.

[joisyan]

hey quickdry, the "Michigan" is not a high stick. unless you raise your stick above the crossbar and throw the puck down into the net. normally (and i have seen it enough to say "normally") when someone scores that way, they shovel it behind the net and raise their stick up to the top corner, never going higher than the crossbar.

otherwise, whenever someone tries it, the goalies almost always see it coming and make a point of it to stop the player. but it really depends on what level of hockey and what the game situation is on wether or not i'd consider flashy stick handling/scoring to be out of line.

for example, if we're losing by 10 goals, i wouldn't expect the other team to even have anyone on the floor capable of doing something like that, let alone their best players boasting their skills that are playing.

but if you're playing in a beer tournament or house league; then whatever happens, happens.

i've had it happen in all situations PIHA included, and power to ya if you can do it. but if you catch a goal stick or defensmen stick across the wrist when you're up by 5 or so goals...i wouldn't be suprised

[Renegades21]

With regards to Avery, I've stayed out of this so far, but I heard he jabbed at the back Fleury's legs at the end of the game. The guy can skate and score, not at a prolific level, but he IS good enough to do it in the NHL. What he does to get under people's skin works, but play hockey for crying out loud. He's an ass clown. It's that simple. When people do the stuff to him, that he does to them, he flips. He could play the game with out that crap and still make it in the NHL. I don't find his antics entertaining or beneficial to the game. And I have no love for the Devils, Rangers or Penguins, so this has nothing to do with that. Just go play hockey.

Well Fleury Gave him a nice goalie stick to the rear end basicly identical to the one he gave lapointe in round 1...lol I love it

[showtime89]

Well Fleury Gave him a nice goalie stick to the rear end basicly identical to the one he gave lapointe in round 1...lol I love it

And in turn, he went after Fleury. So he's fighting Fleury for something he did, not something Fleury instigated.

[Curious George]

Curious George: probably not the best example - but sticking to the golf theme, if you didn't tee off in the orthodox manner - would you expect your fellow golfers to club you in the cods for it? would that be the 'gentlemanly' response?

If you are playing in an orthodox manner, I don't care, as long as it's fair... but let say, u start yelling at me before I hit the ball or while I am getting ready you jump in front of me, then that probably would make me club that person in the cods for it!!

One thing is playing in a orthodox manner, another one is to try to irritate your opponent with ridicule measures to make them fail. I don't mind someone trying to screen me while looking at the puck and try to deflect the shoot, he is facing at the play, the player is playing the game, is on the game. When a someone is facing at the opposite goalie and moving just to be on his way without facing the play, he is just making a dumb out of himself, he is not playing, he is interfering with another player... not physically, but he is interfering.

Is not the orthodox manner again... you can do your break dance move in front of the net if you want to, as long as you're facing the play and pretend that you're involved in the game!!

[siberian khatru]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/hockey/nhl/specials/playoffs/2008/04/30/avery.cardiac.arrest/index.html?cnn=yes


Boo-freaking-hoo. What goes around comes around.