PHILADELPHIA — The NHL will be under the gun to take action against Wayne Simmonds following an early first-period incident in a preseason game here last night in which the Flyers’ winger appears to have called Sean Avery a homophobic epithet.
Avery confirmed after the match that he was called the ugly slur by Simmonds following a scrum in which the Rangers’ winger punched the Flyer in the face while both were down on the ice.
Though Simmonds implied Avery had provoked him through words of his own, the Flyers player did not deny the charge, stating repeatedly that he could not remember exactly what words were exchanged early in Philadelphia’s 4-3 victory.
A year ago, then Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski was suspended for two games after repeatedly making gestures imitating oral sex toward Avery during a game at the Coliseum on Oct. 11.
“It’s been said [to me] for years, but it’s different now,” said Avery, who played a prominent public role in New York State’s adoption of its Marriage Equality Act in June. “It certainly is an issue politically, for people in the game and in life in general, and it’s an issue people are working to overcome.
“It’s really disappointing. Who would [say] that?”
Simmonds, who is black, was the target in a racially tinged incident last week at an exhibition game in London, Ontario, when a fan threw a banana onto the ice at him.
“Avery said some things to me that I didn’t like,” Simmonds said. But Simmonds never claimed there was anything particularly inflammatory about the exchange.
“Come on, he’s Sean Avery,” said Simmonds, adding, “I can’t recall everything that was said,” when asked directly if the Ranger had crossed an uncrossable line.”
Rangers’ coach John Tortorella said he did not hear what had been said.
“I’m sure Sean Avery isn’t going to lie about it,” Tortorella said.
Avery said, “It’s disappointing for me,” to be asked if he had crossed the line to provoke the slur from Simmonds. Avery, who noted that the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant had been fined $100,000 for delivering that slur against a referee, deferred comment when asked if he believed the NHL should take action against Simmonds.
“I don’t want to say anything [to invite] a backlash that is unknown,” Avery said. “I don’t want to put the team in a position where they will have to deal with that.”
It is the NHL that will have to deal with the aftermath.