Hawks will try to ignore Stars' Avery ... until he lands a cheap shot

Sean who?

That's the approach the Blackhawks plan to take Friday night when Sean Avery and the Dallas Stars visit the United Center.

Avery has become one of the most controversial players in the NHL, and that might be too nice a description of him. Opponents call him worse things, and have been doing so for years.

Avery is an instigator and agitator, a yapper and chirper who has been known to deliver the cheap shot.

The Hawks saw Avery at his worst during the preseason when he jumped Ben Eager from behind and began punching him. Avery then taunted Eager near the bench, and when Eager swung his stick at Avery, he received a match penalty and was later suspended for the first three games of the season.

"He's always out there doing something to get attention, but you just ignore him and play the way you have to play," Eager said. "You just ignore him and don't pay attention to him."

Philadelphia Flyers senior vice president Bob Clarke recently leveled some of the harshest criticism at Avery when he appeared on TSN Canada's show, "Off the Record."

Clarke cited what Avery did in the playoffs last spring when he was with the New York Rangers, setting up outside New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur's crease and waving his stick back and forth in front of Brodeur's face.

"He's making a fool of the game," Clarke told TSN. "He crosses the line all the time. He's an idiot."

Clarke later said: "He can play and I think he can be an agitator, but he goes way too far. It's up to (Stars co-general managers) Brett Hull and Les Jackson to stop him because it's an embarrassment to hockey."

Hawks resident shift disturber Adam Burish understands Avery's tactics because he tries to do many of the same things, to a certain degree.

"I won't even give him the time of day when I play against him," Burish said. "I'm sure he'll be yelling and screaming, and I'll tell the guys, too, to just ignore a guy like that. Don't even give him the opportunity to think he's in your head or getting in the way of what you need to do because that's what he wants.

"If you just leave him alone and ignore him and let him run his mouth, he'll end up not talking because he has no one to talk to. He wants a reaction. That's what I do, I want to see a reaction from guys because then I know I'm doing my job. When you don't get a reaction is when you get a little ticked off."

What the Hawks won't ignore is if Avery starts taking cheap shots like the one against Eager last month.

"I have a problem with some things he does," Burish said. "What he did to Eager in the preseason was terrible. If something like that happened and he does something like that again, yeah, we'll make a point to deal with it."

Even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman isn't a big fan of Avery, who has had critical things to say about the league's boss.

"Sean Avery is an intense player and he plays the game with passion," Bettman said. "As long as he doesn't cross the appropriate line of conduct in this league he'll continue to do what he thinks is in his own best interest."

Friday's faceoff

Blackhawks vs. Dallas Stars at United Center, 7:30 p.m.

TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus

Radio: WGN 720-AM

At a glance: The Stars rank last in defense with 40 goals allowed in eight games, and they are 26th in penalty killing. Goalie Marty Turco has a 4.26 goals-against average and .842 save percentage so backup Tobias Stephen might start. Defenseman Sergei Zubov (hip) is out.

Next: Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, 6 p.m. Saturday.

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