There’s one thing that John Scott did for the NHL All-Star Game that even a dramatic format change could not. People actually talked about it. A lot. After being elected by the fans as captain for the Pacific Division following a comical and effective initiative to get him in, it appears that Scott will no longer be participating in the festivities in Nashville come Jan. 31.
In an absolutely bizarre three-team trade that included him Friday, Scott was sent to the Montreal Canadiens who promptly planned to send him to the American Hockey League. Because they do not plan to call Scott up any time soon, it is expected that he will still be with AHL St. John’s when the all-star festivities get going. Since he wouldn’t be an NHL player at that point, he is not eligible to play in the NHL All-Star Game, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
Johnston also said there could potentially be a compromise reached on this, but that seems unlikely. Especially after what Bob McKenzie reported. If you’re a conspiracy theorist, McKenzie threw a little gasoline on the controversial fire.
John Scott was previously asked by both NHL and Arizona Coyotes to bow out of NHL All-Star Game. He refused. Trade likely takes care of that
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 15, 2016
At this point, even if Scott isn't deemed ineligible by NHL, he would almost certainly bow out of ASG on his own.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 15, 2016
Suddenly, the Internet’s prank to get an enforcer into one of the only four spots that fans were able to vote on has led to Scott being weirdly included in an otherwise normal trade. The Coyotes got a former first-round pick in Jarred Tinordi to add to their NHL blue line. The Habs got Victor Bartley, who is a serviceable bottom-pairing defenseman with some offensive abilities to add blueline depth. The Nashville Predators then got defenseman Stefan Elliott out of the deal for playing a role.
Seems like an awfully complicated thing, with three teams rotating decent young defensemen and then throwing big John Scott into the mix. Could the Coyotes really have been that upset about Scott not bowing out of the All-Star Game?
And good on Scott for telling everyone to take a hike about him skipping the thing. It’s not his fault that the fans took advantage of the NHL’s decision to include every active NHL player in the voting process. The All-Star Game has become a farce as it is, with boring hockey, declining television ratings and dwindling fan interest for years.
But this also got a little sad, too. Scott talked about the whole thing with Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy, stating that his family, especially his wife who is expecting twins soon, viewed it as an adventure:
“It’s one of those things where I never thought I’d be able to get to go, so when I found out it was a possibility my family was like, ‘you have to go. It’s going to be so cool,’” Scott said in a phone conversation. “They’re excited for it – probably more excited than I am. It’ll be one of those ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences.”
Yes, Scott was taking away a roster spot from a more deserving Coyote, likely captain Shane Doan or rookie Max Domi, but again, the fans spoke. Not enough others stepped up to try and thwart the prank. They didn't listen when Scott initially said to vote for one of his teammates instead. That’s on the league and the individual voters, not the player. He could have bowed out and done the “honorable” thing, but that’s not what the voter base wanted -- even if his selection was born out of humor.
The player himself knew exactly what was going on. It could have been embarrassing for him, but he quickly let himself in on the joke. That made it all the more endearing, even as plenty in the media and fans shouted their displeasure with this whole thing.
Scott’s inclusion was ripe for debate, for laughter, and I’m guessing for many an NHL fan, gawking purposes. Seeing a guy waived three times captain an NHL All-Star team in a 3-on-3 tournament no less? But not only that, having Scott mic’d up for the entire event and making an otherwise droll affair somewhat more enjoyable? That would have been fun.
Maybe the weirdest thing about all of this is that Montreal was willing to be party to that kind of throw-in for their transaction. Scott is a terrible fit for their high-paced NHL lineup and now will occupy an AHL roster spot that could otherwise be taken by someone with some career left ahead of him.
And that's where things start to get uncomfortable. On some level, one might think, it's the All-Star Game, who cares? But on the other hand, if the game wasn't all that meaningful, would John Scott have been traded at all? It all seems a little spiteful, even if it's not.
In an era where designated fighters or enforcers are going extinct, this was likely Scott's last year anyway. He's not as useful on the ice, but he is often beloved by teammates and is widely known as one of the good guys in the game, even if he does some nasty stuff on the ice. The way he handled everything, greeting it with humor instead of the "aw shucks, just leave me alone" nature of many NHL players was pretty refreshing. Now he's getting cast aside in a very public, very strange manner.
All of this is weird and it doesn’t feel quite right. The most bizarre storyline of the NHL All-Star Game is now gone. The NHL’s embarrassment has been lessened (or has it?). And any inclination that the league is ready to develop a sense of humor at some point is dashed, too.
