In this Feb. 7, 2011 file photo, New York Rangers' Sean Avery is seen during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit.Carlos Osorio/The Globe and Mail
Sean Avery's career with the New York Rangers appears to be over.
The NHL team placed the veteran winger on waivers Friday, giving themselves the option to assign him to the American Hockey League's Connecticut Whale if he goes unclaimed by 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Avery's latest demotion wasn't the result of the bad behaviour that has plagued him in the past. Instead, he struggled to work his way into coach John Tortorella's lineup on a Rangers team hovering around the top of the Eastern Conference.
The 31-year-old started the season in the AHL after failing to make the Rangers out of training camp and was recalled on Nov. 1. He amassed three goals and 21 penalty minutes in 15 games.
The roster move comes at a time when the Rangers appear close to welcoming forward Wojtek Wolski (sports hernia) and defenceman Marc Staal (concussion) back into the lineup.
It also means Avery won't be part of the Winter Classic, which will see the Rangers face the Flyers at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2.
Avery had been a healthy scratch for nine straight games since last appearing on Dec. 10.
If he goes unclaimed and is sent to the minors, his most likely route back to the NHL would be as a free agent. Avery's $15.5-million, four-year contract expires on July 1.