It appears Sean Avery's comeback is over before it even started.
The ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears released Avery from his standard player contract Friday, two days after signing the deal.
Avery did not appear in any games with the Solar Bears, an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 41-year-old said Wednesday that signing in the ECHL was a stepping stone to try and return to the NHL next season.
"I've got seven months to be physically ready to walk onto an NHL training camp," Avery said Wednesday. "That is a lot of time based on how I feel right now physically and how I feel on the ice after skating six times after not skating for 10 years. My timing is coming back and it's getting sharper every single time. I can feel it happening."
Avery played 10 NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and Dallas Stars, recording 247 points and 1,533 penalty minutes in 580 games. He retired in 2012 and hasn't played competitively since.
