Sean Avery
New York Rangers Sean Avery adjusts his equipment after his fight with Montreal Canadiens Picard during the first period of their NHL hockey game in Montreal Reuters

NHL player Sean Avery was arrested early Friday morning in Hollywood after shoving a police officer, TMZ reports.

Avery, 31, was apparently having a loud party at his house when a neighbor filed a complaint. When police knocked on the door, Avery answered, shoved a cop and was later arrested on battery charges. Sources told TMZ that the New York Ranger was "extremely cooperative" during the arrest.

This is not the first time Avery has made non-hockey headlines.

Six years ago, former NHL player Georges Laraque of the Edmonton Oilers accused Avery of calling him "a monkey," a claim Avery later denied.

During the 2008-09 NHL season, Avery was dropped by the Dallas Stars after allegedly insulting his former girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert and her boyfriend, fellow NHL player Dion Phaneuf. Following the incident, Avery was forced to participate in a "league-mandated counseling program," the CBC reports.

But in recent years, the Canadian-born Avery has made several attempts at cleaning up his emotionally charged "bad-boy" image, on and off the ice.

In May, Avery made a video supporting gay rights for the Human Rights Campaign's "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign."

As for players coming out in the NHL, there are "probably a few gay players . . . but I don't know if somebody has the courage [to come out]," Avery told the Toronto Sun.

Avery is currently being held at a Hollywood police station on a $20,000 bail, according to TMZ.

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