Sean Avery Hockey Player: NHL Stats, Teams and the 2008 Avery Rule

Sean Avery is a retired Canadian NHL player who appeared in 580 regular-season games and recorded 90 goals, 157 assists and 247 points. He played for Detroit, Los Angeles, the New York Rangers and Dallas. Avery is especially remembered for his confrontational on-ice style and a 2008 playoff incident that prompted a rule interpretation commonly called the “Avery Rule.”

Below is a fact-checked look at his career, what the incident actually involved and how it affected the league’s treatment of deliberate goaltender distractions.

Sean Avery’s NHL career numbers

These are regular-season totals, corroborated by Avery’s NHL player profile, Hockey-Reference and ESPN’s career table. A point is one goal or one assist, so the totals are internally consistent: 90 plus 157 equals 247. His 1,533 penalty minutes are a separate measure, not scoring points.

Which NHL teams did Sean Avery play for?

Avery wore four different NHL uniforms during his career. He began with the Detroit Red Wings, spent several seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, became a prominent presence with the New York Rangers, and had a shorter Dallas Stars stint before returning to New York.

The team history also explains a common search confusion: photographs and statistics labelled “Sean Avery Rangers” are not from the entire NHL career. He spent meaningful time in Los Angeles, too. A season-by-season log is more reliable than counting highlights posted under a single team’s name.

What is the Sean Avery Rule in hockey?

In an April 2008 playoff game against the New Jersey Devils, Avery positioned himself in front of goaltender Martin Brodeur, faced the goalie rather than the developing play, and moved his arms and stick to distract him. The next day, the NHL clarified how its unsportsmanlike-conduct provision could be enforced against that behavior.

The important distinction: ordinary screening is not banned. A skater can occupy a legal position near the crease to obstruct a goaltender’s view while participating in the play. What the interpretation addressed was a player making distracting gestures while facing the goalie and paying no attention to the puck. In reports, “Avery Rule” is a convenient nickname for that interpretation rather than the official numbered title of an entirely new standalone rule.

A contemporaneous Sports Illustrated timeline documents the 2008 incident and the league’s immediate response. The original disciplinary category was unsportsmanlike conduct; it should not be confused with a general ban on net-front play.

Why were Avery’s penalty minutes so high?

Penalty minutes (PIM) count time assigned for rule infractions and misconduct. Avery’s 1,533 regular-season PIM stand out alongside his 247 points because they reflect two different aspects of his career: he contributed offense but was also frequently penalized. Descriptions such as “agitator” refer to a style of play built around provoking reactions and drawing attention, not a formal player position.

The comparison should be kept in perspective. Penalty minutes are not automatically a measure of effectiveness. A minor penalty can leave a team shorthanded; the opposing side may gain a power play. At the same time, penalty totals alone cannot tell you which calls were justified or what effect Avery had in any specific matchup.

Sean Avery vs. Martin Brodeur: what actually happened?

The Avery–Brodeur confrontation is remembered because it raised a clear officiating question: how far can a forward go when trying to distract a goalie? Screens are a traditional attacking tactic, but Avery’s distinctive action was to face Brodeur and wave his stick and hands in front of him rather than follow the puck. The league moved quickly to identify that conduct as unsportsmanlike, which made the example memorable long after the playoff series.

Not every visual obstruction results in a penalty, and not every goalie complaint relates to this interpretation. Actual calls depend on a particular play and the applicable rules. For another common stoppage unrelated to goaltender screening, see our guide to icing in hockey.

How did Avery’s role change across teams?

His point totals and penalty record suggest a forward whose career cannot be summarized solely by scoring or solely by controversy. Detroit was his introduction to the league; Los Angeles gave him substantial regular-season ice time; New York became the most visible chapter of his career. The brief Dallas interval matters for chronology but should not be mistaken for a long peak.

When comparing Avery to other players, use regular-season career totals for everyone or playoff totals for everyone. A highlight montage may emphasize particular altercations, but it cannot substitute for verified games, goals, assists or penalty minutes.

Frequently asked questions

How many NHL points did Sean Avery have?

He had 247 regular-season points, consisting of 90 goals and 157 assists in 580 games.

Was Sean Avery a New York Rangers player?

Yes, but the Rangers were only one of four NHL clubs for which he played.

What is the Avery Rule?

It is the nickname for the NHL’s 2008 interpretation treating certain intentional, puck-unrelated goaltender distractions as unsportsmanlike conduct.

Did the NHL ban screening goalies after 2008?

No. Normal goaltender screens remained a permitted hockey tactic. The issue was deliberate distracting behavior of the kind seen in that playoff incident.

What are Sean Avery’s career penalty minutes?

His recorded NHL regular-season total is 1,533 penalty minutes.

Which player was the goalie in the famous incident?

It was New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur.

Sources and photo rights

Statistics: NHL.com, Hockey-Reference, ESPN. Historical interpretation: Sports Illustrated’s December 2008 timeline. Checked October 12, 2026.

Featured photo of Avery in a 2011 Rangers game: Michael Miller, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Already cropped on Commons, uploaded without further modifications.