Former NHL participant Sean Avery is co-writing a hockey romance e-book, Summer time Skate, and it is already stirring up a good bit of controversy. Hockey romance books are massive enterprise proper now. Romance has loads of subgenres, however within the realm of the sports activities subgenre, hockey reigns supreme. One thing concerning the hypermasculine, usually aggressive, all the time passionate sport of hockey juxtaposed with the comfortable tenderness and intimacy of romance makes for a heady concoction, and it is one readers, primarily girls, have devoured. And, let’s be trustworthy, it would not harm that quite a lot of NHL hockey gamers are so scorching they might themselves be on the quilt of a romance novel.
NHL gamers have usually confirmed to have stunning abilities and fascinating careers after they retire, and a couple of has tried his hand at writing. Former goalie Ken Dryden is essentially the most notable of the bunch, having written half a dozen non-fiction books in his post-playing profession. Present Edmonton Oilers participant Zach Hyman is a youngsters’s literature writer. There are a handful of others who’ve picked up the pen or pixel, too. Nonetheless, none of these have been or will likely be as controversial as Sean Avery attempting his hand at romance, and the blistering backlash on the web for the upcoming 2025 romance e-book proves it.
Summer time Skate Romance Guide Defined
A Scorching Mess Between A Bestelling Creator & A Rookie Hockey Participant
Summer time Skate is the creation of co-authors Sean Avery and Leslie Cohen, and, whereas Cohen has a couple of books beneath her belt, it is Avery’s debut novel. Avery introduced the e-book on his Instagram, saying, “the romance novel sport is about to be elevated.” The story follows bestselling novelist Jessica Riley, whose demanding profession of deadlines and motherhood overwhelm her, and she or he impulsively fakes a psychological breakdown to get away for some time.
The Simon & Schuster tagline: “A novelist with a rebellious streak and a foul behavior of turning males into materials. A hockey participant with a darkish previous . . . and a shot at stardom that he simply may blow.
A summer season trip that heats up with a forbidden attraction sturdy sufficient to burn their neighboring Hamptons homes to the bottom.”
Sadly, she learns the home subsequent door to the one the place she chooses to recuperate is stuffed with rowdy hockey gamers – together with Carter Hughes, the soon-to-be star New York Rangers rookie. Jessica and Carter develop nearer as she loses herself within the enjoyable of being across the gamers, however her attraction spirals uncontrolled as she begins to develop into impulsive and erratic. Carter, in the meantime, finds himself in over his head as he begins to mingle with the ability gamers of the Hamptons, and it threatens to derail his profession earlier than it even begins.
It is fairly the profession departure for Avery, who has dabbled in appearing since his NHL taking part in profession however is now reinventing himself as an writer.
The writer, Simon & Schuster, describes Summer time Skate as “attractive and addictive,” and are selling it as the following buzzy, frothy learn. Sarcastically, contemplating the title, it is not truly hitting cabinets in the summertime however is ready to be launched on September 9, 2025. It is presently obtainable for preorder from numerous booksellers, all obtainable on its Simon & Schuster web page. It is fairly the profession departure for Avery, who has dabbled in appearing since his NHL taking part in profession however is now reinventing himself as an writer.
Summer time Skate’s Co-Creator Sean Avery Was An NHL Participant
He Famously Compelled The NHL To Undertake The “Avery Rule”
It is no shock that the hockey gamers in Summer time Skate are the New York Rangers – in any case, that is the crew for whom Sean Avery performed within the NHL for years. His taking part in profession as a left winger lasted for twelve years, from 2000-2012, and through that point, he performed for 5 completely different groups. Nonetheless, it is the Rangers with whom he is most related, partly as a result of he performed for them twice, and partly as a result of it was his antics whereas he lived and performed within the Huge Apple that made him one of many largest pests on the ice and notorious off it.
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Avery was a polarizing determine throughout his time within the NHL and a lightning rod for controversy – often all of his personal making. Avery has by no means been one to mince phrases or fear about how his comes throughout, and, as such, he angered a couple of gamers throughout his time. When he was let go from the Detroit Crimson Wings, then-GM Ken Holland defined it was as a result of Avery hadn’t matured, and didn’t dwell as much as the requirements of knowledgeable hockey participant, a sentiment echoed a couple of years later by then-Rangers GM Glen Sather.
The listing of his incidents (through Internet Archive) is lengthy, however no on-ice incident is as notorious because the one through which his conduct throughout a sport pressured the league to really change a rule. Throughout a first-round playoff sport between the Rangers and New Jersey Devils, Avery made it his mission to get into the face of opposing goaltender Martin Brodeur – actually. Turning his again fully to the play, Avery waved his arms and stick in entrance of Brodeur’s face, blocking the goalie from seeing the play.
Through the handshake line, Brodeur understandably refused to shake Avery’s hand, and the league shortly modified the league guidelines in order that actions like Avery’s would end in a penalty and probably an unsportsmanlike conduct cost, a change henceforth referred to as the “Avery Rule.” It was a pointy rebuke from the league, but it surely did not appear to discourage Avery a lot or compel him to develop up, and that lack of maturity and professionalism continued into his private life.
Why It is So Controversial That Sean Avery Is Writing A Romance Guide
That results in why fairly a couple of individuals are so upset that Sean Avery is writing a romance e-book. Avery has a historical past of constructing misogynistic feedback, certainly one of which ended his profession with the Dallas Stars. In December 2008, he gathered the native sports activities media collectively after a morning skate merely to say, “I am actually comfortable to be again in Calgary; I like Canada. I simply need to touch upon the way it’s develop into like a standard factor within the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I do not know what that is about, however benefit from the sport tonight,” he mentioned, referring to his ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert being in a relationship with Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf. For that, he acquired a six-game suspension, a request from the league to attend anger administration, and was positioned on waivers by the Stars.
I simply need to touch upon the way it’s develop into like a standard factor within the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. – Sean Avery, December 2008
In 2015, Avery married mannequin Hilary Rhoda, however she filed for divorce in 2022, stating that Avery had been emotionally abusive to her, and, on at the least one event, bodily abusive to their son, Nash. Public information later confirmed that she had additionally filed a restraining order in opposition to him on the time; as of July 2023, that restraining order was nonetheless in impact (through ET Canada). The restraining order contained particulars of his alleged abuse of her, together with repeated stalking and erratic and unstable conduct, which he blamed on an habit to oxycontin, Rhoda claimed.
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Whereas males can definitely write romance, even troubled males with problematic pasts, it is comprehensible that individuals are drawing a tough line at a person with a transparent historical past of misogyny and abuse allegations writing a romance novel. Avery’s historical past has additionally received e-book lovers questioning why Leslie Cohen, an avowed Rangers fan, would deign to write down a e-book aimed toward girls with him. His previous phrases and actions don’t fill one with confidence that he’ll do it justice, however past that, girls are questioning whether or not they need to help the e-book, monetarily.
It is honest for readers to ask why they need to belief the characterization of a feminine character by a person who so clearly has points with girls.
It is honest for readers to ask why they need to belief the characterization of a feminine character by a person who so clearly has points with girls. It is notably questionable because the Summer time Skate protagonist appears to be messy and spiraling in a method that requires thoughtfulness and understanding to write down, neither of that are qualities Avery has ever proven he possesses. Finally, it is as much as potential readers to determine for themselves in the event that they need to help the e-book, but it surely’s already clear that, for a lot of girls, the reply to that may be a arduous “no.”