Sean Avery is apparently at it again, only this time it's away from the ice.
He used to make his living agitating opponents on Broadway as a member of the New York Rangers. Apparently now the retired NHLer is attempting to take his talents off-Broadway, or at least was after he may have forgotten to leave his agitating ways at the door.
Avery was due to star in an off-Broadway play called Negative is Positive, but ended up quitting two days before it was due to open. According to a report from the New York Post’s Page Six, Avery had a meltdown after a stage manager offered him pizza.
“He’s a playwright’s worst nightmare,” said “Negative” author Christy Smith-Sloman.
On Monday, Avery left rehearsals early after growing agitated. On Tuesday, Avery’s behavior grew worse. According to Smith-Sloman, when a young assistant stage manager named Natalie asked the athlete-turned-actor if he wanted a slice of pizza, he said no, but somehow thought the assistant had called him an “[expletive].”
“He said I was ‘talking [expletive]’ and said I was ‘so full of [expletive],'” Natalie, who was left in tears, told us. “That’s when I realized that I was dealing with a madman.”
Next, director Andreas Robertz said Avery told him, “Don’t you know who I am?!” and stormed out. “I think something snapped in him,” said Robertz.
Avery seems to have a knack for finding controversy. He racked up plenty of fines and suspensions over his NHL career and drew the ire of opponents, teammates and coaches alike. Now it looks like he's burned another bridge, post-career.
The 34-year-old has been out of the league since 2011-12. Over 580 career games, Avery racked up 1,533 penalty minutes.
