Welcome Back, Sean
If much of the New York hockey media are to be believed, Sean Avery was an off-the-ice distraction who hurt the team's locker room chemistry, and the Rangers are better off without him.
This is absolute nonsense. The bottom line is that Avery's arrival completely turned around what looked like a lost 2006-07 season. He energized the team and messed with the game of the Rangers' opponents by constantly agitating them.
It's fair to ask whether Avery was worth signing to an expensive long-term deal. I think he was and that letting him go was a mistake, but reasonable people can differ on that one. Certainly the Rangers have done okay without him thus far this season, but it's very early in the year.
Unlike some in the media, Rangers fans recognize and appreciate what Avery brought to the team and will surely give him a standing ovation when he returns to MSG tonight.
posted on 10/20/2008
