Avery has played his last game with Stars

DALLAS -- Whenever Sean Avery is ready to return to the NHL, it won't be with the Dallas Stars.

The combative forward was eligible to return from a six-game suspension Sunday, but the Stars instead announced Avery will not rejoin the team -- ever.

"You have to do what's right for both parties, and that's what we're really trying to do," co-general manager Brett Hull said.

Avery was only 23 games into a four-year, $15.5 million deal when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suspended him for a crude remark about ex-girlfriends dating other hockey players. Simmering tension between Avery and his teammates and his coach boiled over in the aftermath, with the dressing room united in its stance against him ever wearing a Stars sweater again.

"I thought [Sean] could bring a little bit of a change in our locker room and on the ice which I thought was missing," Hull said. "Obviously, it went overboard and didn't work out."

Details of Avery's departure still must be worked out. He could be traded, sent to the minors or bought out next summer. The club said it will work with Avery to try making this an amicable divorce. They won't try voiding his contract on grounds he's violated the conduct clause.

Yet there's no telling when Avery will play again.

He's at an undisclosed location seeking treatment through a program set up by the NHL Players Association. When he was suspended, Avery told the Stars he needed help dealing with anger issues. Hull said Avery is in a 10-day, voluntary program that could be extended if counselors determine he needs a longer stay.

"We don't want to ruin Sean or his career. We want him to get better," Hull said. "The team needs to move on and start winning and he needs to take care of himself. ... As a hockey player, I think there's no question he can be an asset. That said, he's got to fix the demons he has. It becomes such a huge distraction that it almost takes away from his ability to play the game."

Avery is a two-time league leader in penalty minutes who prides himself on doing and saying things to irritate his foes. He savors his reputation as the NHL's most-hated player and contrasts it with a well-publicized interest in fashion. He's dated actresses, been written up in People magazine and spent this summer as intern for Vogue magazine. The fact he has a publicist makes him unique among NHL players.

The 28-year-old Avery is on his fourth team in seven seasons. He came up with Detroit, was traded to Los Angeles and then was dealt to the New York Rangers, who didn't re-sign him when his contract expired.

Will a fifth franchise want him?

"There's no sense talking about it until he gets better," Hull said.