John Scott. Most everyone not associated with the NHL PR machine have no idea who he is. A lot of people in the NHL probably don't know who he is. Except Phil Kessel. Simply put, John Scott is one of the last of a special breed of hockey player. He's a pugilist, an enforcer, an intimidater, a goon. No matter how you put it, out of all the teams he has played for (9 and counting) he has never been hired to put the puck in the net. He's been hired to serve and protect, old school.
Due to the NHL's fan-selected All-Star Voting, he is also a designated All-Star for the team that owned his rights, the Arizona Coyotes because fan voting is rather ridiculous in theory anyways. So Scott was voted in (by the fans) and he was recently selected Captain for his division's All-Star team. And most recently he was traded to the Montreal Canadians. Some are saying (TSN's Bob McKenzie) this was in an effort to block his participation in the All-Star Game being held at [don't know, don't care]. Because he is now officially a Montreal property, he can't attend as a member of the Coyotes.
John's a big boy, 6'8, 260 lbs. A lot has been printed about how he has played a career average of less than seven minutes a game. He's scored 5 goals and 11 points in nearly 300 games. But to put his 'goon' stats in perspective in his 8 years his highest PIM total has been 125, which was 13th highest in that year (2013-14). To put THAT into perspective 20 years ago 85 players had more than 125 PIMs in a season. So even as an enforcer, John Scott isn't that memorable.
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| Unless you are trying to climb him... |
John Scott is an All-Star. Not for scoring goals or stopping breakaways, not for his on-ice leadership or his ability to sell hockey jerseys. He's an all-star because he did what he had to do to make it to the NHL. He represents those players that have given their lives and bodies to the game of hockey. John Kordic, Derek Boogard, Bob Probert, Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, Steve Mondator. Tough players that kept a tough game honest. And they paid for it dearly. And at one time, they were all kids playing a game they loved. At one time, everyone who has made the NHL was an All-Star at some point in their childhood, if only in their road hockey dreams.
If it wasn't for players like John Scott, Dave Semenko, Mathew Barnaby and Bob Probert, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman would not have brought the NHL to the next level. There would not be hundreds of extra hockey jobs both on and off the ice. TSN would never have came into existence, nor would the Olympics agree to use professional athletes (as all nations best hockey players were in the NHL system).
The NHL was always a tough league; there is no shortage of stories and video clips from the 70's and 80's to provide evidence. Players like John Scott represent hockey's true first responders, the ones who were there to defend a teammate who was receiving undue liberties. They were unofficial referees and handed out school ground justice. Now, players like John Scott are being phased out of the game, replaced by anonymous referees and faceless bureaucrats in the NHL offices handing out suspensions and fines. Players no longer protect each other, they whine and complain about the refereeing.
The NHL is banking that the skating and scoring is what will keep selling tickets. The All-Star game is a marketing gimmick to sell specific jerseys of each team's 'marquee' players. By shadow-banning John Scott, they are forgetting what has always been their bread and butter, what the NHL was built on; a simple kid making it through hard work, discipline and toughness. That's what original NHL fans liked and that's who they voted for. Someone who reminds them of them when they were kids - but made it, even if it's only for less than seven minutes a game.
The John Scotts of the NHL should be represented at the All-Star Game. Simply put, without them there would be a lot less All-Stars.
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| And potential future boyfriends... |
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