Sean Avery was certainly one of the more interesting characters to play for the New York Rangers over the years. He didn’t have the quiet dignity of a Jean Ratelle. He didn’t have the class of an Adam Graves. He didn’t arrive as a Hall-of-Famer like Mark Messier or Phil Esposito. But he was an instigator. He was an agitator. And he was fun.

He likes actresses. He doesn’t like Canada. He likes fashion. He doesn’t like radio broadcasters from Toronto. He likes shooting his mouth off. And he really doesn’t like Martin Brodeur. Avery’s battles with his arch nemesis are already legendary. Nobody can get under Brodeur’s skin like Avery. He has the ability to turn the goaltender into a quivering mess. Whether you agree with his “Slap Shot”–like antics or not, they worked. The Rangers beat the Devils by getting Brodeur to concentrate on everything but stopping the puck. Brodeur couldn’t even shake Avery’s hand after the series. He was last seen rocking back and forth in a padded room muttering, “Avery…Avery…Avery.” Now Avery has to find someone in the Western Conference to torture.

You really can’t blame Glen Sather for letting Avery walk away. Is he worth $15.5 million over four years? No. It seemed like whenever he was in the lineup, the Rangers won. But at the same time, he missed a lot of games with an assortment of injuries, which hurt the team. And even when did take the ice, he was inconsistent. Look at the 2006/07 playoffs―he had a goal and four assists in the sweep of Atlanta but then came up empty with zero points when the Rangers were beaten by Buffalo.

Though he was only with the Rangers for a little over one season, it was certainly a memorable time. He’s always got something to say, whether you like it or not. He often mixed it up with the other team and could turn the Garden crowd into a raucous mob. Just about every player in the league can’t stand him, but that’s all part of the fun. But hockey is not his whole life. He’s been spending the summer interning at Vogue (remember when Gordie Howe did that?), and says he’s more passionate about fashion than hockey. And now he’s heading to Texas. Have fun with that fashion thing there, Sean. But anyway, good luck and thanks for the memories. We’ll always have Martin Brodeur.