Sean Avery is the worst kind of loser you can find. He not only gets under your skin, but he crosses the line, gets away with it, then lets you know he got away with it. What you just saw in that video was (and I use past tense for a reason) against the rules.
Rule 41 - Abuse of Officials and other Misconducts G) A misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any player who persists in any course of conduct (including threatening or abusive language or gestures or similar actions) designed to incite an opponent into incurring a penalty.
What's that you say? It was in the rule book already? Why the referee did not call it in the first place is beyond me. This is not what the NHL wants to look like. You cannot pick up your blade and wave it in front of another player's face, regardless if you make contact.
I would have been fine with a stern warning if it was anyone but Sean Avery. Another point I have to make is, this only sheds negative light on the Rangers. A leader from the Rangers (if they have any) should have stepped up and told him to settle down. I understand that it is the playoffs and you want to get into the opponent's head, but don't make it as obvious as that.
The NHL has decided to give an interpretation to the rule I quoted earlier, aiming it at Avery's antics.
An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty (Rule 75) 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.
For one, I applaud them.
