Ex-Ranger Sean Avery was pleased to learn head coach John Tortorella was fired on Wedensday -- but not for the reasons you might think.
“It’s not that I’m happy for myself. I’m happy for the Rangers and Ranger fans,” Avery told the New York Post. “When I was a Ranger, no one was happier to walk into the Garden every day than me.
“I loved the team. I still do. I want the atmosphere to be the best it can be for the players. I want everyone in New York to be proud of the team.”
Little was heard from Avery since retiring last year, until he popped up on Twitter to call Tortorella a “clown” in March, adding “his players hate him and won’t play for his BS.”
Then, in mid-May, he took a different approach, saying that playing under Tortorella was “one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
“Part of it was the relationship that I had with him as a coach,” he explained. “It definitely helped me make the transition and have a successful career.”
But Avery took a new turn -- surprise surprise -- after hearing Tororella was ousted this week, tweeting “Don’t ever doubt what I say,” before speaking with the Post’s Larry Brooks.
“Oh, I had a huge smile on my face,” Avery said about hearing the news. “No question about it.”
