The disfunctional relationship: Sean and Gary

Did you catch catch the Averython on today's Game of The Week on NBC? Seriously, this is a relationship that is in need of not just therapy, but perhaps an intervention. A cam trained on Sean Avery throughout the game? Extra coverage on nhl.com to boot. It's like an episode of Dr. Phil just waiting to happen...

Dr. Phil: Now Gary, why don't you start? Tell us how Sean makes you feel?
Gary Bettman: Well, sometimes (blows nose) I get the feeling that the things that are important to Sean aren't what's important to me. He doesn't care about how I feel, or the way it looks to other people when he acts the way he does.
Sean Avery: Yeah, you know what? Maybe if you didn't just sit around all day watching soap operas while I go out and work, maybe I would care...
GB: I love you... (Cries)

Ugh.

You mean all we had to do was ask Avery???

Yes hockey fans, I know that we are all so very thrilled the sport we love gets underway for real tonight. And what would hockey season be without controversial comments from Sean Avery? The newest Dallas Stars forward is giving Marty Turco a run for the job of official team crackpot, based on his recent interview with ESPN:

"Our commissioner hasn't realized that he needs to probably do a better job of marketing the game and certainly some of the players in it," said Avery in an ESPN radio interview. "Nobody cares about Jarome Iginla and guys like that. They're just not exciting enough. They don't bring enough to the game.

"They haven't figured it out that villains and heroes are what sells, but I don't think that's ever going to change unless they hire me to run their marketing stuff."

We all know that hockey is in trouble in a number of markets in the U.S., but if anyone thinks that Avery knows what is best for hockey, let alone even cares about what is best for anyone but Sean Avery, you're as deluded as Avery is obnoxious. Yeah I know any reference to Avery is just giving him what he wants. But the sad reality is, he is more like Bettman than he realizes. He is self-centered, stubborn, and does things without regard of what the consequences are. And wouldn't you know he has just given everyone a reason to watch the first time Dallas comes rolling into Calgary.

Henrik Sedin- NHL goon?

As shocking as the mostly humorous tussle between Henrik and Anaheim's Corey Perry late in OT was, even more shocking was this report from an Anaheim blog:
" The rest of the overtime period passed uneventfully except for roughing between Perry and Henrik Sedin with just :24.1 seconds left. Perry took exception to the cheap shot that Sedin threw to the back of Perry’s head and let Sedin know it would not be tolerated. Despite the rare display of chippy behavior, the game ended in a shootout." I will give you a second to wipe the milk off the screen. Where does one begin? From the implication that Perry was just an innocent victim, to the sentence that ends the paragraph (was the writer referring to the game, or Perry. If it was Perry, we need to talk...), it's simply an inaccurate portrayal of the incident. Perry clearly punched Henrik on the way into the boards, and Henrik's pop in the back of the head was a sign that indeed, it would not be tolerated. Henrik and Daniel, being the players teams often focus on when they play the Canucks are used to such abuse, and have become growingly more intolerant of it as they go on in their NHL careers. Perry on the other hand, is a very talented goal scorer, and certainly plays tough. He also has a reputation around the league for being a top notch agitator, in the league of players like Jarkko Ruutu, Darcy Tucker and the league's douchebag champions, teammate Chris Pronger and Dallas' Sean Avery. Perry's shot, while not enough to cause injury, was at best cheap and certainly showing the lack of respect that the NHL wants to get rid of. The question is, are the Canucks going to let it go, or will there be a subtle reminder from a much tougher Canucks squad on Sunday night that not only is this a team that will not be pushed around this season, but one that holds players accountable for their actions against its' star players like the Sedins and Roberto Luongo. My bet is Perry may have a full dancecard at GM Place.