So the Red Wings social media has been posting these pictures all season that are Q&A's with a player on the team asking their favorite foods/TV shows/vacation destinations/etc. Since the regular season ended, they've continued to post them, but usually with some of the spare parts that came up from Grand Rapids at the end of the season.
Yesterday they posted one for Jake Chelios, Chris's son who at 28 made his NHL debut this past season and dressed for the Red Wings last 5 regular season games.
For his "favorite Red Wing player of all time", he said Sean Avery.
Unsurprisingly, this seemed to draw a lot of comments on the picture.... Bewilderment from Red Wings fans that found it inconceivable that someone's favorite Red Wing would be someone other than Gordie Howe or Steve Yzerman, some who admitted they didn't even know Avery was a Red Wing, the usual and expected vitriolic reactions to Sean Avery, revisionism about his Red Wings tenure, and even a small handful who thought Jake was just being like his Dad and joking around. FWIW, the last one was pretty well debunked when Chris was interviewed during an intermission for Jake's NHL debut game. Red Wings play by play guy Ken Daniels asked about the younger Chelios' jersey number being #84 and tried to paint it as some feel good home homage to his Dad's NHL debut in 1984. However, Chris pointed out that Jake simply doubled a number worn by his favorite player which wasn't available (Martin Frk was wearing #42), IIRC, without mentioning the player. Daniels did the math in his head and correctly guessed that it wasn't Bernie Federko... it was Avery. He said "Sean Avery" in some half disgusted half surprised tone, which prompted Chris to chuckle and look at the camera and say "sorry Aves". Further backing it up was Jake wearing #42 for Michigan State.
Anyway, and back on topic, it got me wondering... How different might Sean Avery's career and reputation gone had he stayed in Detroit? Had he stuck around there until the lockout, his low salary at the time would've made him a regular coming into the cap era where he'd be reunited with the head coach he had with Cincinatti in the AHL, Mike Babcock. A coach who (at least from Avery's admission) he got along with. Does the veteran core there keep him in check as they seemed to do in his short tenure with the Red Wings, and he just ends up going down in history as some more outspoken Matthew Barnaby or Steve Ott type with a big mouth in the media like Jeremy Roenick? Or does still end up becoming the most controversial guy in the NHL somehow? At the very least, no trade to LA probably means no party at Paris Hiltons where he meets Elisha Cuthbert, which eventually leads to his most infamous and reputable moment in the NHL. On a more intriguing note, does putting Sean Avery on that ultra soft 2006 Red Wings team help them get past the Oilers? Maybe he puts the infamous "Avery rule" PP net presence in effect against Giguere and the Red Wings get past the Ducks in 2007?
