SEAN Avery cut a divisive figure during his twelve-year NHL career.
The Ontario native, 43, was renowned for his controversial behavior both on and off the ice.
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But after leaving ice hockey in 2012, the bad boy of the NHL carved out a very different career in the world of modeling.
Avery was signed by the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in 1999, enjoying a prolific season with the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL.
The talented left winger was a physical presence on the ice throughout this career.
He would regularly wind up opponents and officials, twice leading the league in penalty minutes during the 2003 and 2005 NHL seasons.
Controversy courted Avery wherever he went, with the Canadian seeing his contract terminated by multiple teams.
In 2008, Avery signed a four-year, $15.5million contract with the Dallas Stars.
But within months, he was serving an NHL suspension for making controversial remarks about other players dating his ex-girlfriends.
When he did return to the Stars’ roster, the team placed him on waivers just weeks later.
Following a stop-start second stint with the New York Rangers, Avery retired from hockey in 2012.
After hanging up his skates, Avery went to work for the New York-based advertising and creative agency Lipman.
He worked as a model for the company, as well as taking up the role of chief strategic officer.
Avery guest-edited Vogue in 2008 while he was still in the NHL, with women’s fashion as his main focus.
He said: “[With men’s fashion] you do suits and pants and that’s about that.
“Women’s clothes tell a story. That’s what’s interesting to me.”
Avery would go on to become the face of Hickey Freeman’s summer campaign in 2012, as well as starring in print ads for 7 For All Mankind.
He currently presents a no-holds-barred podcast called No Gruffs Given and has dabbled in TV and movies.
Avery appeared on Dancing With The Stars in 2014, but crashed out of the competition in the second week.
The ex-Ranger also set his sights on New York City restaurants but sold his stake in two eateries over a decade ago.
While he reportedly met model and wife-to-be Hilary Rhoda at his then-restaurant Warren 77 in the summer of 2009.
Avery and Rhoda would marry in October 2015 and have one son, but divorced last year.
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