Hayward Stands Ground

[BH]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/your_call/?messageid=841592&hubname=

[BH]

correct link: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/your_call/?messageid=841592&hubname=

[calgARI '07]

Sean Avery is flat-out the biggest idiot on the planet.  This is like the twentieth instance of him embarrassing himself and the game this season alone.

[Trotsky]

Correct link: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?id=161766&hubname=nhl

LOS ANGELES (CP) - Sean Avery can't seem to get enough of the spotlight.

The Los Angeles Kings player had a heated verbal exchange with Anaheim broadcaster and former NHL goalie Brian Hayward in the dressing room Friday before players and media.

Hayward, a former Montreal Canadiens goalie, criticized Avery during Tuesday's Anaheim broadcast and accused him of running away from a confrontation with the Ducks' Todd Fedoruk. Hayward was doing prep work for Saturday's Ducks-Kings game on NBC when he visited the Kings' dressing room Friday, only to be welcomed by a profanity-laced tirade from Avery, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hayward stood his ground.

"You're an embarrassment," the Times quoted Avery as saying and Hayward responded by saying, "You want to see an embarrassment? Look in the mirror, Sean."

Avery walked towards Hayward at one point but was pulled away by assistant coach Ray Bennett.

"You're the reason the league doesn't have a national television deal. You're a (terrible) announcer and you were a (terrible) player," Avery said during the exchange.

Hayward responded: "How would you know? When I played, you were in your third year of eighth grade."

Avery has been in and out of hot water all year long:

- In pre-season, Avery said a hit by then-Phoenix defenceman Denis Gauthier on Kings centre Jeremy Roenick "was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up."

- In an October game, Avery was accused by Edmonton's Georges Laraque of using a racial slur.

- He was the first NHL player this season to be fined $1,000 US for diving and reacted by hammering the league for it.

"How can a guy sitting in an office in New York determine if you dived or not by watching a tape?" Avery said. "They don't know if you had a bad ankle or torn bursa sac or something. I can't even tell you what play they are talking about. They don't have to tell you a play, just what game they are looking at.

"No question that this is a way (for the league) to do something to me. It has nothing to do with diving. How can Colin Campbell, or whoever it is, sit at a desk and make that call? They should send the tape to all seven members of the competition committee and let them look at it."

[Robb]

3rd year of 8th grade? LOL.

Nice comeback, Brian!   ::laugh::

[RatushnyFan]

Avery's own teammates seem to have tired of his antics.  He has some value as a player if he wasn't such a head case.  Hayward probably shouldn't have engaged him in a verbal sparring match (not very professional) but then again Avery is one of the bigger idiots on the planet so I'll cut him some slack.