So perhaps the better question is, can three-on-three save the all-star game from extinction? Those two players were high draft picks and their star status was nearly preordained.
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There’s some controversy swirling in the National Hockey League, and at its core is part-time Traverse City resident John Scott.
It was a big moment for a big man, and it nearly didn’t happen.
“It’s nice because people have a persona of me”, Scott said.
“It’s going to be a good challenge, going to be fun”, Giroux said. “I didn’t really like that feeling”. The two had a talk Thursday night. “He just said, ‘We’re happy you’re here”. The debate heated up and Scott himself wrote a first-person account of the experience that appeared in The Players Tribune on Thursday.
The outcry that followed when the Arizona Coyotes traded him to the Montreal Canadiens – who then promptly sent him to the AHL, making him ineligible to play in the game – was sizeable.
Eventually, the National Hockey League decided Scott would be allowed to fulfill his captain’s role and represent the Pacific Division. This opens the door to abuse and Latvian fans barged through last season and voted Zemgus Girgensons to the starting lineup. It’s not easy to fight the biggest guys in the league.
Florida Panthers right winger Jaromir Jagr pleaded with fans not to vote for him as captain of the Atlantic Division all-star team, saying the new three-on-three format would be too taxing for someone 43 years old.
“Now that I’m here, they’ve been very welcoming”, Scott said of National Hockey League officials.
“I think for some players, if you have a lower-back (injury) or groin issues or things like that and you get caught out on some of those long shifts… you can get caught out there for quite a while”, Trotz said. “Obviously it’s gotten a lot of publicity and a lot of people excited about watching the game”.
“That means a lot more than anything, to have your peers respect you and want you in this game”, he said. But if I have no choice, I love the idea of the all-stars and I think it’s good for the fans, but at my age, personally, I know what I need for the rest of the season and the playoffs …
All-Star merchandise with Scott’s name and number has been a hot item, so popular that Scott said he couldn’t find any of his own jerseys.
Every All-Star asked about Scott’s presence seemed pleased to have him at the event. Scott, a journeyman enforcer, was elected after a mostly lighthearted internet campaign and is widely agreed not to be among the top players in the league.
During the All-Star voting process, Jagr said that at his age he would prefer not to play in the All-Star Game, saying the new extended 3-on-3 format would be tough on him. “He’s a great guy”.
“I think it’s going to be interesting”, said Tampa centre Steven Stamkos. “I’m still kind of a fan at heart when I meet these guys”.
“It’s nice to get all the outside noise to go away and just start focusing on having fun and playing in the All-Star Game”, Scott said. “I tried to get him to take days off, but he knows his body better than anyone”. However, guys like Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron, Erik Karlsson, Patrick Kane, Johnny Gaudreau, Taylor Hall, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin will be there. “I wanted to get one, but I heard they were sold out”, Scott said. Right now, NHL All Star MVP odds have Scott is set as the +400 favourite.
Scott, who also won everyone over with his affable nature despite some controversy over his being here, will compete in the hardest-shot competition Saturday in the skills competition.
“I wanted to stack the deck and put my eggs in as many baskets as I could and win those prizes”, Scott joked.
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The 33-year-old Scott has two daughters, and his wife is expecting twins within the next couple weeks. That incident only strengthened his resolve to play Sunday. Even the most avid NHL fan must admit that the league has some catching up to do if it wants to be as relevant as the NFL (or even MLB, and the NBA).
