All-Star John Scott.
At least that’s how we referred to Scott, the 6-foot-8 goon. Only 11 points in his NHL career, and he became an All-Star. Why? Because of the fans.
In an attempt to gain more attention and fan involvement in the NHL’s traditional All-Star game (which, by the way, is becoming less and less popular by the year), the league decided that they extended the voting power to the fans. That means that fans could vote in any player they wanted to, and they would have a shot at making the team. Signal the John Scott campaign, and low and behold, he was announced as an All-Star captain for the Pacific Division. He joined the ranks beside Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr and Patrick Kane.
However, that’s all about to change, and it looks like Scott’s All-Star career is finished. On Friday, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens (which are part of the Atlantic Division Team for the All-Star game) as a part of a three-way deal. Almost immediately, he was assigned to the AHL St. John’s Ice Caps, never to see the NHL again (at least while the All-Star game is going on), and deemed ineligible for two reasons: first off, he’s not in the Pacific Division and therefore cannot play for their team, and second, if he’s in the AHL, he can’t play participate.
New details arose that make the crime seem worse, come to think of it. Bob McKenzie revealed via Twitter that the Coyotes and the NHL asked Scott to bow out of the All-Star game. When he refused to, things grew tense, and that could very well be the reason for the trade. And both the team and the league could have been behind this move, too, ensuring that he cannot participate in any way possible.
Fans are outraged, and to be honest, so am I. The NHL promised that the fans would be able to vote, and they said who they wanted. Sure, he’s no Ovechkin, but it brings a refreshing new face to the All-Star ice and proves that it can be fun, while also saying that anyone can be an All-Star. And trust me, hockey fans were loving it, and for those who argue that the spot can now go to a “deserving player” I must ask… does Scott deserve this?
He’s being punished by this league for being voted into a game. It was by no means his fault, and if he was voted in, he should be able to compete, fair and square. It’s not fair to the fans, and it is not fair to Scott. Almost completely, I have lost respect for the National Hockey League and the way they treat certain players. Can he not be an All-Star because he doesn’t sit on any leaderboards, or is it because of his low ice-time numbers? The fans loved it; don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Burying him in the minors isn’t the way to stop Scott, who reportedly made All-Star t-shirts for his fellow teammates (that is not confirmed). In fact, he shouldn’t be stopped at all; he’s an innocent in all of this and it’s not like he stuffed the ballot box or pushed fans to vote him in. He even said it was funny, but he had no say in any of this.
At this point, the NHL needs to let go of it’s definition of an All-Star and realize this is a game for all players. What they are doing is discrimination of sorts; what, because Scott can’t score 50 goals a season, he has no talent for the NHL and shouldn’t even skate the ice of the All-Star game? The league is disillusioned and has lost the true meaning of the All-Star game.
It is for the fans. Hell, even the players know that, and some of them crave the All-Star break. It’s not a serous game by any means, and many fans think of it as a joke. So what if Scott plays? If the fans voted him in, and if those are the people that the game is really for, then just let him play? It’s not like Wayne Gretzky is going to lose sleep over it. It is disrespectful that the league would go to such great lengths to stop a payer who was fairly voted in from playing in a game that has no critical play whatsoever.
Due to the league’s poor respect for Scott, as well as this display of utter classlessness, I am boycotting the NHL All-Star game. I refuse to cover it as a writer (unless Scott is reinstated), and moreso, I will not watch it. But hey, no one ever really watches it, so does it matter? And if it doesn’t matter, then #FreeJohnScott.
