Toronto radio airs Avery retraction

Avery exchanged words and shoves with Blake and his Toronto teammate Darcy Tucker during warmups before New York's 3-2 shootout victory over the Maple Leafs on Nov. 10.

FAN 590 reporter Howard Berger had claimed Avery made "cancer-related remarks" to Blake during the altercation, citing an unidentified Rangers player. Blake was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in October.

Avery denied making the comments and his lawyers served libel notices against the Fan and the Toronto Star over the matter. Berger voiced the 46-second retraction that aired Monday.

"It was my intention only to report accurately on what transpired during the pregame warmup," he said. "Based on Mr. Avery's clear statement that he made no such remarks, my information and therefore my reporting does not appear to have been accurate.

"I truly regret reporting that Mr. Avery made any such comments. I apologize to Mr. Avery for having done so. And I hereby retract my comments about what transpired during the pregame warmup on Nov. 10, 2007."