Sean Avery Proves He Is Still The Worst While Defending Gauthier

Sean Avery is one of the most hated people to ever play in the NHL. He was a goon who acted like he was a superstar. Between acting like a pest on the ice, and multiple offensive comments off of it, there was little reason to like him even if he was on your team. And the years since his retirement have not made him any more likable. Because he recently weighed in on the Cutter Gauthier situation. And of course, his take on the situation is as terrible as he was at hockey.

First off, Flyers fans did not throw quarters at Santa. It was Eagles fans, and it was snowballs. If you are going to troll us, at least get your facts right. There is also the fact that it happened in the 60s, and most of the people involved are now in their 80s and 90s. But that would involve asking Sean Avery to be able to do math, so it is probably asking too much from him.

Also, Sean Avery having a go at Danny Briere for what his son did is rich. I will remind you Sean Avery was infamously accused of making negative comments about Jason Blake's battle with cancer. Avery denied those claims, but Blake's teammates seemed sure he said something. Many of them had something to say about Avery after the fact.

Darcy Tucker, who got into a fight with Avery during the game, said Avery had no class. Avery did something to set them up. And with Avery's history, it is hard to give him any benefit of the doubt. So for him of all people to get on his high horse is rich. That is not to defend Briere's son, what he did was disgusting. But maybe Avery shouldn't be the person running his mouth about it with his history. The Blake story is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Avery being a menace.

If this was an attempt to troll, it was weak. If he is serious, that is even more embarrassing for Avery. But the biggest takeaway from this is we now know Cutter Gauthier is in the wrong. Because anytime you have Sean Avery in your corner, you know you have messed up.

The iconic brand of the Philadelphia Flyers has developed through a storied history since Ed Snider founded the franchise in 1967.

The days of the Broad Street Bullies during the 1970s put the Flyers on the map in Philadelphia. They’ve since transitioned into different eras that have inspired the perception around the NHL of the seventh integral team to hockey tradition outside the Original Six.

Back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974-75 established the identity of the Flyers. They revolutionized the NHL with intimidation tactics that changed the game of hockey forever. The organization still considers the Broad Street Bullies the root of their DNA. It's no surprise that four players with retired numbers skated for the notorious Bullies.

Their success as one of the top teams in the NHL continued during the 1980s. They made it back to three Stanley Cup Finals in one decade, unfortunately losing all of them. The Flyers proved they could never stay out of the spotlight when they sent shockwaves through the NHL by acquiring Eric Lindros in 1992.

The era that followed kept them in the conversation as a Stanley Cup contender through the 1990s. They maintained that status into the first decade of the 2000s. They hope to revitalize that tradition in the modern era.

The Flyers have consistently kept their alumni involved to honor their accomplishments of the past. Their reputation around the league as an organization who takes care of people who’ve made contributions to the organization still proceeds them around the NHL.

Fans who look in the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center see banners proudly displaying the accomplishments of the Broad Street Bullies era, multiple Patrick Division crowns, and the 2009-10 Eastern Conference Championships.

However, the Philadelphia Flyers have reserved the honor of retired numbers for only six former players.

“Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent.”

Countless drivers in Philadelphia during the 1970s read the iconic bumper sticker about the future Hall of Fame goaltender. Parent accumulated Hall of Fame numbers over 13 NHL seasons, 10 of which included stints with the Flyers.

The real mark of his legacy came in the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons. He won the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender in the NHL after both regular seasons. His 47 wins in 1973-74 stood as a league record until 2007.

Parent won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP for each of the only two Stanley Cups in franchise history after both of his Venzina seasons. The famed Broad Street Bullies built their reputation on intimidation and grit, but they never would’ve sniffed a Stanley Cup without Bernie Parent between the pipes.

Mark Howe played six seasons in the WHA to begin his professional career and didn’t make his debut with the Flyers until age 27. However, he established himself as the indisputable best defenseman in franchise history.

He still holds franchise records for goals, assists, points, shorthanded goals, and plus/minus rating among defensemen. Most of the blueliners behind him in the major statistical categories played more games with the Flyers. Howe published a book cleverly named Gordie Howe’s Son in 2013.

Barry Ashbee began his career in Philadelphia at age 31. He played 287 regular-season and playoff games in orange and black. He finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting for the best NHL defenseman in 1973-74, when he became a key member of the first Stanley Cup team in Flyers history.

Ashbee suffered an unfortunate eye injury that ended his playing career in 1974. He joined the Flyers staff as an assistant coach but passed away from leukemia three years later.

The organization has consistently honored his legacy after the two tragic occurrences. They award the Barry Ashbee Trophy to the team’s best defenseman every season, and they retired his number shortly after his death.

Bill Barber still holds the franchise record with 420 goals decades after his retirement in 1983-84. The “LCB line” with Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke, and Barber brought the offensive firepower the Broad Street Bullies needed to win two Stanley Cups.

The Flyers organizational lifer built his reputation with a Hall of Fame playing career, a stint as head coach, and a long tenure as a front office executive.

It’s tough to come up with a player who can define the identity of a franchise in the NHL or in all of professional sports more than Bobby Clarke defines the Flyers. He incredibly won three of four Hart Trophies as the league MVP from 1972-73 through 1975-76. Clarke wore the “C” as the heart and soul of the Broad Street Bullies during the best era in franchise history.

He has remained around the organization in various roles since his retirement in 1984.

The Flyers made arguably the biggest splash in NHL history when they acquired the rights to Eric Lindros in 1992 after some lengthy drama. He was supposed to be the next Wayne Gretzky, and his dynamic skill and intimidating power didn’t disappoint when he was on the ice. He won the Hart Trophy after the shortened 1994-95 season and helped the Flyers to an appearance in the 1997 Stanley Cup Final.

Concussions derailed the career of arguably the most talented hockey player ever to lace up the skates. He struggled to stay healthy in a stretch that infamously ended with a devastating hit from Scott Stevens in the 2000 Eastern Conference Final.

He ranks sixth in franchise history in scoring, but his 1.36 points per game average blows every other Flyers skater out of the water. The organization has properly moved on from disagreements with one of their all-time greats whose number has hung in the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center since 2018.

The Flyers were in Stanley Cup contention when Claude Giroux broke into the NHL. The crafty forward developed into the organizational centerpiece, but the team dragged through a forgettable era in franchise history during his captaincy.

Giroux is second in Flyers history in points, games played, and assists trailing only the legendary Bobby Clarke. He played on teams that won six total playoff series and recorded 73 postseason points, including an overtime goal in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2010. He has finished fourth or higher in Hart Trophy voting three times during his tenure in Philadelphia.

The Flyers will someday retire the number of one of their all-time greats who unfortunately never broke through with a Stanley Cup.