Now this is just sad

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:32 pm

EL SEGUNDO - The Kings' frustration over their slide out of the playoff race became palpable Friday when Sean Avery had a heated verbal exchange with commentator Brian Hayward in the dressing room.

Hayward calls games for the Mighty Ducks and will work today's Kings-Ducks game for NBC. He criticized Avery during Tuesday's broadcast and accused him of running away from a confrontation with the Ducks' Todd Fedoruk. Hayward visited the locker room Friday to do prep work for today's game.

Avery entered the locker room after practice and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade at Hayward, who argued back at Avery for several minutes as about 20 players, team officials and reporters watched.

"You're an embarrassment," Avery said, among other unprintable phrases, and Hayward responded by saying, "You want to see an embarrassment? Look in the mirror, Sean."

The men remained separated by at least 10 feet for most of the exchange, although at one point Avery made a purposeful walk toward Hayward
and finally was pulled away by assistant coach Ray Bennett.

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

Hayward, an NHL goalie for 11 seasons, responded, "How would you know? When I played, you were in your third year of eighth grade."

Status report: Interim coach John Torchetti said Mathieu Garon would start in goal in today's game. Garon went down after being hit by a puck in practice but apparently suffered just a bruise.

Sad when Avery gets schooled by a 3rd rate color commentator for the Schmucks. Hopefully the new GM does us a favor and trades him, few of the players like him and he ragged on Andy Murray after he was fired, even though AM had put him on the first line when he had NO BUSINESS being there.

al? · Post by **al?** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:10 pm

Avery is a poor man's Matt Barnaby. The size of Mats Naslund with the courage of Claude Lemieux.

The wings couldn't have unloaded him faster. You're welcome suckers.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:34 pm

He's not the biggest pest on the ice in the league but he sure is off the ice when you stick a microphone in front of him.

Mainiac · Post by **Mainiac** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:02 pm

"You were in your 3rd year of 8th grade"!!! ZING! Nice one for Mr. Hayward.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:34 pm

Rack Hayward!!

Mustang · Post by **Mustang** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:57 pm

Genius. Only in hockey do we get this kind of stuff. Schoenfeld's "Have another donut...." has to be the all time classic.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:17 pm

Considering ESPN lives for 5 second sound bites and confrontations, I would've thought they'd be all over this story. Oh I forgot, hockey has coodies...

DucksFan · Post by **DucksFan** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:21 pm

The Queens are in total meltdown now. When your start getting verbally bitchslapped by commentators you know you're in trouble.

Hayward was right though. Avery didn't seem to want much of Fedoruk but at least one Kings player was willing to take him on. It was Cowan, right?

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 1:39 am

You do realize that there is a 5 inch difference in height between Avery and Fedork?

JD · Post by JD » Tue Apr 11, 2006 2:06 am

Cross Traffic wrote:You do realize that there is a 5 inch difference in height between Avery and Fedork?

I think you just made the point.

Avery shouldn't be talking shit that he can't back up. His teammates certainly aren't willing to back up his mouth.