The Two Sides Of Sean Avery And Ivan Johnson

If you had to pick a Ranger who made you laugh the most, who would that be?

If your name wasn't Martin Brodeur, you'd have to think about Sean Avery, the only guy who could drive New Jersey's Hall of Famer up a wall. (And down as well.)

For his era, Avery was one of a kind. Ditto for Ivan (Ching) Johnson, an original Ranger who was considered among the toughest of the 1928 and 1933 Cup-winners.

Just as there were two sides to Avery – sweetheart, humorist and toughie – so there was with Johnson.

"Ching was the kindest, most gentle man you would ever meet off the ice," wrote Winnipeg hockey writer Vince Leah. "He had a marvelous smile that captivated people.

"He had time for everybody, young and old. But when he clobbered incoming attackers, he would turn an impish grin as if he had snatched the last cookie out of the jar."

Teammate Babe Pratt put it another way. "Ching would hit a man and grin from ear to ear and he'd be that way in the dressing room too. There was never a time when Ching didn't have itching powder in his pocket, ready for a practical joke."

When the Rangers won their first two Stanley Cups – 1928, 1933 – Hall of Famers Pratt and Johnson were teammates. Their boss was Ranger patriarch Lester Patrick who tolerated Ching's shenanigans, but just barely.

Pratt: "One time Ching gave Lester a hotfoot and Lester's shoe caught on fire. Lester was half asleep at the time and – after they put out the fire – poor Patrick couldn't walk for a week."

Then, a pause: "It took a lot of nerve to do that to Lester Patrick!" As a matter of fact, it took a lot of nerve to be Sean Avery!