Sean Avery

Sean Christopher Avery was born on April 10, 1980, in North York, Ontario, Canada. His parents, Al and Marlene Avery, were both teachers, and he grew up in Pickering, Ontario. Before his NHL career, Avery played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Owen Sound Platers and the Kingston Frontenacs. He was signed by the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in 1999 and began his professional career in 2000 with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League (AHL). Avery’s NHL debut came during the 2001–02 season with the Detroit Red Wings, playing 36 games. He later played for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and Dallas Stars, gaining recognition for his intense playing style which led to him leading the league in penalty minutes in the 2003–04 season with 261 and the 2005–06 season with 257.

Following his retirement from professional ice hockey in 2012, Avery embarked on a diverse career in the creative industries. He interned at Vogue magazine in 2008 and guest-edited Mensvogue.com, demonstrating an early interest in fashion. He collaborated with men’s fashion label Commonwealth Utilities for New York Fashion Week in 2009. Avery also became the face of Hickey Freeman’s Spring/Summer 2012 ad campaign and appeared in the 2013 campaign for 7 For All Mankind. Beyond fashion, he has pursued acting, with roles in films such as “The Rocket: The Legend of Rocket Richard” (2005), “Patriots Day” (2016), “Mile 22” (2018), Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” (2020), and “Oppenheimer” (2023). Avery has also made television appearances on “MADtv,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Project Runway: All Stars,” “Fashion Police,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Kevin Can F**k Himself,” and “Shoresy.” His memoir, “Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey,” was published in 2017.