The New York Rangers placed veteran winger Sean Avery on waivers Tuesday, the New York Post reported.
Avery, 31, was dropped to the waiver wire for the second time in his career after failing to snag a roster spot as the Rangers prepare to open their season against the Los Angeles Kings in Sweden on Friday.
The tumultuous winger is slated to make $4 million this season -- the final year of the four-year, $15 million deal carried over from his stint with the Dallas Stars.
It was not immediately known if the Rangers would assign Avery to one of their minor-league affiliates should he clear waivers Tuesday.
The Rangers picked up Avery's Dallas deal in 2009 after the Stars waived him following his controversial "sloppy seconds" comment, in which he took a jab at former Calgary defensman Dion Phaneuf, who was dating Avery's ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert.
The Rangers' move to oust Avery was due, in part, to a personality conflict with head coach John Tortorella, according to the Post.
Tortorella, who had condemned the winger for his "sloppy seconds" comment while working as an analyst for TSN, had no way of knowing at the time he would end up with Avery on his bench when he took over the Rangers midway through the 2009 season.
Tortorella scratched Avery in six of the final 12 games of the 2010-11 season and the first playoff game after getting less than 10 minutes of ice time in 12 of the last 14 games he played.
In 565 career games with the Red Wings, Kings, Stars and Rangers, Avery has 87 goals and 157 assists.
