Ranger's antics cause NHL officials to make a rule change on the fly

During a 5-on-3 power play in New Jersey's 4-3 overtime playoff victory Sunday night, Sean Avery of the Rangers planted himself in the crease and faceguarded Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur. Holding his stick upward, Avery waved it side to side to block Brodeur's vision.

Last update: April 14, 2008 - 2:56 PM

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By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Avery found yet another way to annoy Martin Brodeur, and forced the NHL to change a rule in his honor.
The Hall of Fame resume of the New Jersey Devils goalie doesn't resonate with Avery, the New York Rangers forward, who has turned agitation into an art form. During a 5-on-3 power play in New Jersey's 4-3 overtime playoff victory Sunday night, Avery planted himself in the crease and faceguarded Brodeur.

Holding his stick upward, Avery waved it side to side to block Brodeur's vision in a newfangled method of screening. Brodeur gave him a whack, but that was hardly a deterrent.

"I've played for 15 years in this league. I've been watching games for 33 years. I had never seen that in my life," Brodeur said. "I don't think that kind of behavior should be done in front of the net, but there is no rule for it."

That was true Sunday, but not today. The NHL moved quickly to eliminate this activity by making an on-the-fly rule interpretation.

"An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty 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," Colin Campbell, the NHL director of hockey operations said in a statement.

Avery scored during the advantage in a traditional way, receiving a feed from Scott Gomez and redirecting the puck into the net.
Still, what led to the goal was the pressing issue.

"That's not something that anyone writing the rule book has anticipated, and I don't think that we view that as part of our game," said Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford, an NHL goalie for 13 seasons. "With that being said, Sean Avery didn't do anything to break any rules.

"With every rule that is written, or how we try to change the game, somebody gets creative. Sean has gone beyond being a little bit creative on this one."

That is exactly what you get from Avery, a talented player always looking for ways to push the envelope. He rarely stops talking on the ice or the bench, whether it's to opponents, teammates, officials or anyone who will listen.

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