Best All Star game ever

The three on three format for the NHL All Star game generated enough action and highlight reel plays to keep the games entertaining, but it was the John Scott story that stole the show. NHL fans made Scott an All Star and he made it to Nashville despite the NHL’s action to keep him away from the game. The league could not have imagined the best hockey All Star game ever playing out around the story of the Pacific Division’s Captain.

The Nashville fans celebrated Scott, after his two goal performance in the preliminary round. They chanted “MVP” for him while hockey fans online, once again, voted Scott in for an award. He was not on the ballot. Scott deserved the MVP after his two goal performance in the Pacific versus Central game. As many said, his second goal was well earned.

There could not have been a more heartwarming story and it was fantastic to see his very pregnant wife and young kids with him on a magical night in his forgettable NHL career as an enforcer. Maybe Gary Bettman and company should learn something and consider including a fan voted non-traditional All Star to the big game, the one that means nothing regardless of how hard the NHL tries to sell it otherwise, instead of stashing John Scott in the AHL. At least, there is talk of Scott getting some endorsement deals.

That is what the NHL does not get, at times. The magic about hockey is contained within the stories of the people who play, train, coach, manage, own, support, and watch the game. John Scott had a ball and so did all the fans who watched him.

P.S.

On a side note, nice to see Braden Holtby, Nicklas Backstrom and Egeny Kuznetsov represent the Caps well at the All Star game, but time to get back to it on Tuesday.

Let’s go Caps!