After the Bill Peters scandal in which former players claimed that he directed racist insults and physical abuse towards the players, retired NHLer Sean Avery came forward and said he was kicked by another NHL coach.
The former Kings forward told the New York Post that during his three-year term with Los Angeles, he was kicked by then head coach Marc Crawford, who now serves as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.
"This was just after I (broke) a drill and threw the disc in the wrong corner, and it landed on the head (of Crawford) and I cut it by six (points). He kicked me during a game," Avery said in the interview.
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Avery explained that he was kicked during a game, which writer Larry Brooks tracked until a December 23, 2006 showdown between Los Angeles and Nashville, when he received a penalty for too many men on the ice. The Predators scored in the subsequent power play, after which Avery said Crawford "let me have it."
"Do you know that I am at the end of the bank? He went down and kicked me that left a mark," Avery added.
In February 2007, Avery was changed to the New York Rangers in exchange for Jason Ward, Marc-Andre Cliche, Jan Marek and a couple of prospects. Crawford, who served as head of banking for the Kings from 2006 to 2008, missed the playoffs twice with the team before being fired and training the Dallas Stars.
In a total of 580 NHL games in his career, Avery recorded 90 goals and 247 points before retiring in 2012.
Last season, Crawford served as interim head coach of the Ottawa Senators before joining the Blackhawks as an assistant in the summer.
