Flyers Free Skate

The NHL decided not to discipline Flyers player Wayne Simmonds for an anti-gay slur directed against Sean Avery. This apparently is another corollary to the Avery Rule. This new extension to the Avery Rule seems to be that if Sean Avery is doing his standard trash talking on the ice, then anyone can say anything back to him in response. So there are no lines drawn when it comes to on-ice trash talk directed back at Avery. Of course, this is a one way street. If Avery crosses the line and says something deemed too outrageous he will be punished.

It's still unclear if Tom Sestito will receive a suspension for drilling Deveaux into the boards in Philadelphia on Monday night. An announcement was expected today. We'll see how that one goes. Yesterday, it was reported that the Flyers waived Sestito. So he is on his way back to the minors, suspension or not. [Update: Sestito suspended for rest of preseason, plus two regular season games.]

Katie Strang / ESPN:
NHL doesn't penalize Wayne Simmonds --

The NHL chose not to discipline Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds for his alleged homophobic slur because it could not "substantiate" that Simmonds hurled the epithet toward New York Rangers winger Sean Avery...

Video replay appeared to catch Simmonds making an anti-gay slur against Avery during a preseason game in Philadelphia on Monday night. Avery confirmed that Simmonds made the remark.

After the game, Simmonds did not deny the accusation but said he could not recall everything that was said between the two players...

Katie Srang / ESPN:
Simmonds escapes discipline --

Although Wayne Simmonds did not deny using a homophobic slur against Avery after Monday's Rangers/Flyers preseason game, the 23-year-old Flyers forward apparently changed his stance during his hearing with NHL Executive Sr. VP of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell Tuesday...

Newsday:
Flyers' Simmonds denies making gay slur

more discussion:

My Blueshirt Heaven:
Double Standard Shanny? --

So, Jody Shelley and James Wisnewski receive fines and long suspensions for their “against the new rules” hits but Sesisto gets nothing for driving Deveaux into the boards in Philadelphia on Monday night? ...

Is the whole Simmonds/Avery politically incorrect slur episode that big of a smoke screen to disguise the fact that in the NHL there are two sets of rules, one for the New York Rangers and another for everyone else?

Blue Seat Blogs:
NHL Drops The Ball With Simmonds --

In case you missed it, Wayne Simmonds was not given a suspension for screaming a homophobic slur at Sean Avery during Monday night’s preseason game. Apparently, Simmonds “forgot” what he said immediately after the game, but then somehow remembered during his disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. When he “remembered”, he said he did not use a slur at all...

But here’s the kicker: I’m willing to bet my savings account that if this were directed at anyone other than Avery, there would have been a huge fine and suspension. But because it’s Avery, and his reputation precedes him, there was no penalty...

Philly.com:
Briere rips 'killer' Avery; fan admits to throwing banana --

Avery “didn’t mean it literally,” Briere said of the killing comment, “but we all know Sean Avery and how much he likes attention.” ...

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), meanwhile, has ripped the NHL for not fining Simmonds. It called Avery a “marriage-equalty advocate.” ...

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ICINGS:

Scotty Hockey is doing another bang-up job on covering the Rangers in Europe. He first went over in 2008 to see their games. He is really going the extra mile to follow his team. The trip over was not exactly a subway ride to MSG:

[I] left my house at 12:45 Monday, got into my hotel room around 2:30 Tuesday. Even with the time change, that is atrocious.

He also found this gem of a brawl between two Czech teams: HC PSG Zlín and HC Sparta Praha. The Rangers play HC Sparta Praha tomorrow.

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