Rangers place Avery on waivers

PHILADELPHIA -- As Rangers alumni from Mark Messier to Darren Turcotte gathered here for Saturday afternoon's outdoor match against Flyers old-timers, one current Blueshirt appears to have played his last game in a New York sweater.

Sean Avery, who was a healthy scratch for nine games, was waived Friday. If no team claims him by Saturday afternoon, Avery will be assigned to the AHL's Connecticut Whale for the second time this season. The left wing had three goals in 15 games after being recalled from the Whale on Nov. 1. With forward Wojtek Wolski's imminent return from a groin injury, the move was not unexpected.

Avery's first stint with the Rangers came when he was acquired from the Kings in February 2007 and lasted through the 2007-08 season. He then signed a free-agent deal with the Dallas Stars but ran into problems with the league and management in Texas. He was waived and claimed by the Rangers in March 2009.

Winter Classic.The start of the alumni game has been pushed back two hours to 3 p.m. because the forecast calls for temperatures in the 50s. The unseasonable warmth softened the ice.