Searching for Sean Avery: Close to being cleared for a return

This stuff about Sean Avery has been bouncing around all week. He’s close to being done with his treatment program, which means the Stars are going to have to make a decisions about him. Some Les Jackson comments are below, but here’s TSN’s Darren Dreger on the Avery situation.

Exiled Dallas Stars’ forward Sean Avery is expected to be cleared from the NHL and NHLPA’s Behavioral Modification program later this week or sometime early next.

Avery is scheduled to begin skating on Monday in anticipation of returning to hockey; however, to do that, Avery knows he will have to regain NHL teams’ trust which will very likely require time in the American Hockey League.

Avery remains Dallas property, so the Stars will have to find an AHL team willing to take Avery on board.  The Stars will then place Avery on waivers and providing he clears he will be reassigned.

Avery’s best chance of returning to the NHL will be via re-entry waivers.

Stars co-GM Les Jackson was on the Calgary Flames radio broadcast Monday night and was asked about Avery.

“The problem that will arise is where does he go,” Jackson said. “He’s not coming back to Dallas, we know that for sure. We’ll hopefully find him another place and he can convince a team that he’s going to come back and play, and play to the level that he is capable, respect the game and the respect the people around him.”

Jackson also said what’s left on Avery’s contract is an issue when it comes to moving him to another NHL team.

“That’s a challenge,” Jackson said. 

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.