Offside: My Life Crossing the Line

Hockey's most polarizing figure takes us inside the game, shedding light not only on what goes on behind closed doors, but also what makes professional athletes tick.      Sean Avery is not afraid to break the rules laid down by hockey tradition. And the most respected of these is the code of silence. For the first time, a hockey player is prepared to reveal what really goes on in the NHL, in the spirit of what Ball Four did for baseball. The money, the personalities, the adultery, and the drugs--and also the little things that make up daily life in the league.       Most athletes have little to say, but Sean doesn't have that problem. Yes, he tells us about the guys he's fought and the guys he's partied with, and he tells us where to find the best cougar bars in various NHL cities and what it's like to be hounded by the media when you're dating a celebrity. But Sean's job on the ice was always to get inside the heads of the guys he played against, and that insight on human nature is on full display in Offside.What makes millionaire athletes tick? What are their weaknesses? And in the end, what makes Sean Avery--once called "the most hated player in the NHL"--who he is? What is it like to make people hate you for a living?      Sean Avery's misdeeds on and off the ice are well-documented, and he certainly has his detractors. But on the other hand, he has a lot of supporters, in part for things like being the first North American athlete to come out in favour of marriage equality, and in part just for being an interesting guy. Love him or hate him, he is one of the best-known players of the past few decades, and certainly one of the most colourful and outspoken. In Offside, he meets his accusers head-on, and gives them something to think about.

About the Author :
SEAN AVERY is a Canadian former professional hockey player. During his time with the NHL, he played left wing for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, and New York Rangers. In addition to his hockey career, he has worked as a Vogue magazine intern, a model, and a restaurateur. Avery is married to model Hilary Rhoda and lives in New York.

Review :
A Globe and Mail Bestseller “Offside... may be described as Ken Dryden's The Game rewritten by Hunter S. Thompson.” –Globe and Mail “[A] lively, dishy bildungsroman on skates.” –Sports Illustrated “[Avery] pulls no punches... Love him or loathe him, Avery is unapologetically himself in his tell-all.” –TSN “The one-of-a-kind left winger gives an unparalleled inside look at the NHL lifestyle... If you ever wanted to know what players really thought of certain coaches (Mike Babcock, Andy Murray, John Tortorella), which teammates can drive a squad nuts, or just see how the NHL sausage is made (drugs, sex, partying), Avery has the scoop... Any hockey fan will be interested in the stories he has to tell.” –The Hockey News “Avery has happily returned the disdain in his new bridge-burning memoir. . . . [he is] the exact same disruptor as an author.” –The Toronto Star “He doesn’t claim to be an entirely reformed character . . . and there’s more than a hint of score-settling throughout the book. Nonetheless, Avery does want to prove he’s more than a “hate-filled wrecking ball.” –Maclean’s “Sean Avery is the first to admit he’s made mistakes [and] it makes for colourful reading. . . . Avery throws out manhole-cover-sized brickbats.” –National Post "[Avery’s] voice is energetic and offbeat, and his get-real revelations about drugs, team jealousies, and the lingering damage from a violent sport will hold readers’ attention." –Publisher's Weekly