League Suspends Sean Avery Indefinitely

When he became a Dallas Star, fans knew that Sean Avery brought a certain level of hot-headed-ness to the game. He ruffles feathers and gets under other players' skin, and that's one of his attributes as a player. But, where does he cross the line into "going too far".

The league thinks he did that this morning. While being interviewed by Canadian press, Avery said the following:

I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. Enjoy the game tonight.

Avery was referring to a relationship between his ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert, and Calgary Flames' defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

Did the league overreact? I don't think so. It's pretty obvious that his statement was in poor taste, and I think shows very little class. And the Stars have a reputation of being a pretty classy organization. If the NHL hadn't reacted, I believe the Stars would have. As far as the "indefinite" tag on this suspension - I think that will be re-defined in the next 48 hours, and we'll have what amounts to a 4-6 game suspension on our hands.

The question is - how does this effect the team? Well, first of all, it leaves them shorthanded for Tuesday night's tilt against the Flames. But will it have a lasting effect on the dressing room? It's hard to say, but it's obvious that some of Avery's teammates are already bothered by his actions and statements. Brad Richards had the following reaction when asked about Avery's comments:

"It's none of my business what he says and I'd rather not talk about Sean. He's got his own thing going on."

Marty Turco added:

"We all are competitive enough and focused to get out there and do your job. But when it continues over time, you know, things certainly can be (distracting)."

More distractions and setbacks are not what the Stars need right now. What are your thoughts on this suspension? What should the Stars do in response, or do they need to do anything additionally?