Former NHLer Sean Avery was found guilty of criminal mischief in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday for a 2019 incident in which he use his scooter to hit a car that was blocking a bike lane.
Avery was sentenced to time served and an order of protection was issued for all complaining witnesses. The former Ranger did not speak with reporters following the conclusion of his two-day bench trial.
The incident took place on Feb. 23, 2019, on East Eighth Street and Broadway in Greenwich Village. Avery, a vocal proponent of bike lanes in the city, bashed the driver’s side door of venture capitalist Jonathan Schulhof’s car with the scooter for what Avery perceived as his minivan blocking the bike lane.
Schulhof’s wife and 4-year-old daughter were in the car at the time and Avery left a quarter-sized hole in the side of the vehicle, Schulhof testified on Wednesday, according to the New York Post.
Manhattan prosecutors had offered Avery several plea deals which the hockey agitator declined. Avery originally said he would represent himself in court, but was warned against it by a judge and retained the services of criminal defense attorney Jason Goldman.
The bench trial was presided over by Judge Marisol Martinez-Alonso and began on Tuesday. A small number of fans had been in attendance to see Avery’s trial take place in downtown Manhattan.
Avery made a brief statement to reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday after the first day of the trial wrapped up.
“What a day,” the ex-New York Rangers forward said, according to Vanity Fair. “What a great day. New York City tax dollars at work.”
Avery spent 10 years in the NHL and six of those years were spent with the Rangers. Avery was known more for his trash talk and absurd antics than his play on the ice.
