Shea-ved Ice: John Scott & Family Should Be Proud Of All-Star Nod
The NHL All-Star break is upon us, which marks the unofficial halfway point of the season.
In case you haven't been paying attention for the past couple of months, noted enforcer John Scott is an All-Star. In fact, he's an All-Star captain, thanks to the Internet fan vote.
I'm not exactly big on fan votes for All-Star games and it appears I'm not alone.
That said, he was elected to the NHL All-Star Game by the fans - mostly as a joke at first, but that's irrelevant. The real joke is what the NHL tried to pull to keep him out of the game.
Fans flooded the NHL's voting page with ballots for Scott – an enforcer for the Arizona Coyotes (at the time).
Scott quickly rocketed to the top of the rankings, eventually getting enough votes to be named the captain of the Pacific Division team.
Look, I've ripped Scott in the past for things he's done on the ice and I stand by what I said at the time. But, what happens next in this ordeal is absurd.
Scott was traded to the Montreal Canadiens and was immediately sent to the minors. His All-Star Game ticket was seemingly being ripped away from him in the cruelest and most unfair way possible.
Eventually, the NHL decided to allow him to play this weekend – as they should. I'm guessing the amount of public outcry may have had something to do with it. You know, all those fans that voted for him.
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Throughout this whole ordeal, Scott has handled himself admirably. He even made a statement asking fans to vote for his teammates.
Then, he dropped the gloves (figuratively) with an article that appeared on "The Players' Tribune" this week.
There's some colorful language in it, but it's more than appropriate, especially when describing the moment he was informed that he had been traded.
But, there was one line in particular that absolutely floored me.
An unnamed person with the NHL called Scott about the All-Star Game and uttered the following:
"Do you think this is something your kids would be proud of?"
Can you imagine?
What child wouldn't be proud of their father being named to the NHL All-Star Game?
How he got there is irrelevant. What you think about John Scott the player is irrelevant.
The only thing that matters is Scott's spot was earned fair and square and within the NHL's rules. Then again, it's not like the NHL has a great track record this season of enforcing those rules on the ice, but I digress.
Perhaps the NHL's argument is that his spot (in such a prestigious event) is better filled by a player with more skill or star power.
In theory, that would seem valid. Scott himself admits that he's not going to be the most skilled player at the event:
"One of the reasons I've made it as long as I have in the league is because I specifically know I'm not an All-Star."
In practice, the theory rings hollow. This is especially true when the league doesn't seem to care that much about its stars.
For example: Brandon Dubinsky's repeated assaults on Sidney Crosby that go (mostly) unpunished.
Dubinsky nearly took Crosby's head off earlier this season and gave him another shot while he was down for good measure.
The penalty for such an act? A two-minute minor and a one-game suspension.
I'm sure you can think of other examples as well. This was just the first in recent history that came to mind for me.
Anyway, when Scott takes the ice on Sunday, he'll be cheered on by more people than he can imagine.
I hope he scores a goal or two. If he doesn't, it's okay. He will have played in an NHL All-Star Game and his kids will have seen him do it.
That alone, is something they can all be proud of.
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