Clothes Make The Ice Man

[hokeychik22 17]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/165674

You might say that Sean Avery is the human equivalent of jock itch. It's his job, as the baddest badass in the National Hockey League, to annoy his opponents, to get under their skin—anything to gain an edge. Like the time he painted his fingernails black. "It was an experiment to see what a guy would do when he saw a fist coming at him and the nails are painted," he says. Or the time he turned his back on a game against New Jersey so he could wave his arms to block goalie Martin Brodeur's view and glare at him like a jackal. "I still remember the look on his face," says Avery. "I think at that point he thought I was officially out of my f–––ing mind." The NHL promptly outlawed that kind of diversionary tactic in what is now called "the Avery Rule." "I only got to do it once," he says, "but it was a good once."

If you met Avery on the street, though, you'd never guess he likes to get bloody. Quite the opposite. He may be the most hated guy in the NHL, but he's hands down its best-dressed player, too, with taste that runs to Alexander McQueen, Dries van Noten, Gucci and white patent-leather Saint Laurent shoes. Plenty of athletes are also known for being fashion plates: David Beckham, Roger Federer, Greg Norman. But Avery is cut from a different cloth, and not just because those guys are gentlemen and he's a professional jerk. His real passion is women's fashion—appreciating it, not wearing it. He started as a mini-clotheshorse growing up outside Toronto and gradually developed a taste for couture. With men's fashion, "you do suits and pants and that's about that," he says. "Women's clothes tell a story. That's what's interesting to me." Even though he left the New York Rangers to play for Dallas this year, Avery still makes it back to Manhattan for Fashion Week—he sat between Martha Stewart and Winona Ryder at the fall's Marc Jacobs show. He even spent the summer doing an internship at Vogue. "When you see a guy walking out of a game with a broken nose and a busted lip and two days later you see him at a Vera Wang show, it's probably confusing to some people," he says. "Or intriguing."

So intriguing that New Line has commissioned a screenplay based on his double life. It's sort of "The Devil Wears Prada" with skates and brawls. "I think it's going to be something that guys can take their girls to," says Avery, who envisions fellow Canadian Ryan Gosling playing him. His internship provided plenty of fish-out-of-ice stories. During one of his first trips to the magazine's cafeteria, he took too much food—making him the first Vogue staffer to do that—and promptly spilled beef stroganoff on a horrified woman. The fashion world is with him when he plays, too. On the road he travels with a big bag to hold his favorite magazines: American Vogue, French Vogue, British Vogue, V, V Men. The ribbing from the guys, of course, can get ugly. "They call me a ***, and I laugh," he says. "It's so narrow-minded and stereotypical." And unwise. If you make Sean Avery mad, you might get a fistful of black nail polish.

[Zion 93]

I'm really glad he is no longer a Detroit Red Wing.

[robat 13]

I'm really glad he is no longer a Detroit Red Wing.

I'm not

[hillbillywingsfan 794]

I'm not

way to make this thread turn into a 50 pager.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I'm really glad he is no longer a Detroit Red Wing.

I'm kinda on the fence. Does his agitating style of play make up for the off ice distractions?

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Avery no longer deserves attention because he's bored and decides to call a reporter.

[Zion 93]

I'll take Morrow over Avery and Ott any day, but that isn't saying much. And at least Sean drops the gloves every now and then.

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

"They call me a ***, and I laugh," he says ...

YEAH ya think!?!?!? thats so f'n hilarious

I wonder how long itll be before he is on Dancing with the stars or before he loses focus on hockey ...

anyone know if he has a no trade clause?? the fashion world might distract him from being a hockey player

[robat 13]

way to make this thread turn into a 50 pager.

No problem.

[FedorovGurl 2]

I am not sure about "Dancing with the Stars" but he definitely sounds like a "Project Runway" wanna be.

Hey Avery... Auf Wiedersehen!!

[edicius 3,269]

It's kind of a shame, because Avery DOES have some hockey skill and if he dropped the whole agitator/pain-in-the-ass schtick, he could be a really respectable member on any number of hockey rosters.

[T.Low 1,011]

I'm really glad he is no longer a Detroit Red Wing.

" Posted Today, 03:08 PM

It's kind of a shame, because Avery DOES have some hockey skill and if he dropped the whole agitator/pain-in-the-ass schtick, he could be a really respectable member on any number of hockey rosters. "

Yeah, kinda like Rodman after Madonna got ahold of him, and turned him into a self-marketing machine. I don't prefer his new style. He could be successful by his hard work and skill without the marketing antics. I wish he would show a littel more self respect. But then, he's a lot more successful than I am.

[deltsig87 3]

This guy is a f***in clownshoe, plain and simple. The Wings don't need any distractions like this chump, it doesn't fit their philosophy. Look at the Patriots, the whole team is disciplined and you never hear of any players getting out of line or acting like a fool, just like the Red Wings. What do both teams have in common besides no distractions or idiot players? Oh yeah, a lot of championships. Leave the drama to the girls Avery, oh yeah you already are one.

(P.S. I am leaving out the "cheating" comments about the Patriots because it takes away from my comparison to the Wings )

[esteef 2,679]

It's kind of a shame, because Avery DOES have some hockey skill and if he dropped the whole agitator/pain-in-the-ass schtick, he could be a really respectable member on any number of hockey rosters.

True. He looked good when he was with the Kings. Just sayin'...

esteef

[j.hoop 64]

this article just sucks on every level, i hate sean avery and pretty much everything about him. its a shame brodeur didnt hack his nose off with his goalie stick. that was definitely one of the lowest things ive ever seen in hockey, just a straight ****** bag move. as for the painted nails.....wow.

[j.hoop 64]

this article just sucks on every level, i hate sean avery and pretty much everything about him. its a shame brodeur didnt hack his nose off with his goalie stick. that was definitely one of the lowest things ive ever seen in hockey, just a straight ****** bag move. as for the painted nails.....wow.

[DatsyukownzU13 1]

I'm a fan of Avery. Yeah, he's a total b*tch to play against, but I would love to have him back. And on another level, he shows that pro athletes can be more than just that. He doesn't care how people may judge him (obviously by throwing this all out there) and I think it's pretty admirable.