N.Y. Rangers Owed $2M For Dallas Stars’ ‘Sloppy Seconds’

When the New York Rangers picked up Sean Avery off waivers in 2009, they got more than the NHL’s “most hated player.” They also got a $2 million claim against the Dallas Stars in the team’s Chapter 11 case.

In court filings, the Stars, which filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday, listed the Rangers as one of the team’s biggest unsecured creditors. The Stars are on the hook to the Rangers for $2 million for a “contractual obligation for player picked up on waiver,” according to court papers.

That’s a reference to Avery, who signed a $15.5 million, four-year deal with the Stars back in 2008, according to a Rangers spokesman. The Stars parted ways with Avery less than a year later after the 31-year-old left winger made some crude remarks about his ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert, who was dating another NHL player.

In case you don’t remember, here’s what Avery said before a game in Calgary against the Flames. At the time, Cuthbert was dating ex-Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf, now with Toronto.

“I’m just going to say one thing. I’m really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about, but enjoy the game tonight.”

Avery has long played the role of irritant to opponents on the ice. Off it, he’s also been a thorn in the side to some of the more hidebound members of the hockey establishment. He’s interned at Vogue magazine, presented a clothing line at 2009 New York Fashion Week and most recently appeared in an ad backing same-sex marriage in New York.

-Eric Morath contributed to this article.