Sean Avery called homophobic slur?

PHILADELPHIA -- A Winter Classic news conference Monday afternoon touted the Rangers-Flyers rivalry as one of the best in sports, but the animosity took an ugly turn during the Rangers' 5-3 loss to the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Monday night.

Feisty Rangers winger Sean Avery confirmed that Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds called him a homophobic slur during the first period of the bitter preseason contest. A video replay showed Simmonds hurling the epithet toward Avery while on the ice near the Flyers bench.

"To be here now having to answer the questions about what he did is disappointing for me. I'm disappointed for him," Avery said.

Rangers coach John Tortorella said: "I did not hear it, but I'm sure Sean Avery is not lying about it."

Simmonds, who is black, was on the other side of a racially offensive display last week when a fan hurled a banana into his path during the Flyers' exhibition game against the Red Wings on Thursday in London, Ontario.

The 23-year-old winger said he did not remember everything that was said between him and Avery during the game but did not deny crossing the line.

Simmonds said he felt Avery sucker-punched him in a scrum early in the first and said the two continued to verbally spar after that.

"Honestly, we were going back and forth for a while there," Simmonds said. "I don't recall everything that I did say to him but he said to me some things I didn't like and maybe I said some things that he didn't like. I can't recall every single word I said."

Avery felt he said nothing to prompt such a response.

Sean Avery called homophobic slur?