Ladies, gentlemen: your 2016 NHL All-Star Game MVP… John Scott

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This article was published 31/01/2016 (3874 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NASHVILLE — The fans spoke. Twice.

Never argue with the fans, who not only put plodding pugilist John Scott into the NHL’s all-star game at Bridgestone Arena but then voted en masse for him as the game’s MVP Sunday after he scored two legitimate goals in the Pacific Division’s 9-6 semifinal win over the Central Division.

Scott’s Pacific crew went on to a 1-0 win over the Atlantic Division in the mini-tournament final.

The spoils of victory included splitting the US$1-million prize put up by the league and a new Honda van offered to the MVP by the weekend’s sponsor.

“The fans have been unbelievable,” Scott said after the tournament’s conclusion.

“I didn’t realize I had that many fans and that much support. It just kind of gives you goosebumps when you think about it.”

The entire story began with a lark of an Internet campaign, but ended with a remarkable story of a career plugger who was embraced by his NHL all-star teammates, even though he’s currently not one of them after being traded by the Arizona Coyotes to the Montreal Canadiens, then sent to the AHL in St. John’s, N.L.

After some controversy as to whether the NHL actually wanted Scott here, the 33-year-old Edmonton native, who has 285 career NHL games with six teams, and just five career goals, became the weekend’s darling.

Near the end of Sunday’s final game, fans in Bridgestone Arena began chanting his name, and even though it wasn’t posted on the arena scoreboard, it was a landslide.

When the award was announced, his teammates put him up on their shoulders for yet another ovation from the crowd.

“I was nervous,” Scott laughed. “I’m not a very light guy. I’m almost 275 pounds, almost 300 pounds when I’m soaking wet.

“Just another moment from this weekend I cannot believe. I just can’t put it into words. That’s just another one on the list of stuff I could not believe was happening. Not in a million years would I believe I was in an all-star game and the fans got behind me like that. To score two goals in the game, you can’t write this stuff.

‘I loved it, probably the coolest thing I’ve done in hockey.”

Scott’s likeable, straight-shooting personality came out in many ways, including a rebuke for NBC analyst and former NHLer Jeremy Roenick, who interviewed him on the bench during the semifinal game, apologizing for being wrong to say Scott shouldn’t have participated. “It’s not the first time you’ve been wrong,” Scott said with a straight face.

After the MVP award was announced, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented him with the large cheque for the prize money.

“He said, ‘I’m proud of you. That was quite the story and quite the game and just have fun with it,’ ” Scott reported. “I have no ill will towards him or anybody. It was kind of stand-up for them to let me come and play in this. They didn’t have to.”

Scott’s two daughters and his wife, pregnant with twins, were on hand to witness the dream weekend.

“It was nice to have them down on the bench after,” he said. “They (his daughters) love their dad, I love them and it was a great experience for them. It was an even better experience for me to let them into my world.

“And it was funny. I was talking to my daughter and she said, ‘Dad, everybody wants to talk to you. What’s going on?’ That’s crazy, isn’t it? They had a great time.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca