A Trip Down Memory Lane: 2016 NHL All-Star Game
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The NHL has had enough drama and entertainment to create a successful reality show. The events of the 2016 NHL All-Star Game could have absolutely been one of many fantastic episodes. Shocking to no one, the poll that allowed fans to vote anyone they wanted into the game was used for comedic purposes rather than for true, all-star caliber hockey.
John Scott, a known enforcer and career fourth-liner, was the fans’ pick, which angered the NHL to no end. Almost immediately after the vote officially closed, Scott was traded from the Arizona Coyotes franchise to that of the Montreal Canadiens, with hopes of him not being eligible to play in the Nashville showcase. However, fans and the all-stars themselves rallied around the winger and essentially overruled the NHL’s frustration. John Scott, who had five goals in the entirety of his eight-year-long career at the time, would not only be the Coyotes All-Star representative but captain of the Pacific Division team.
Scott fully embraced the All-Star Weekend and the reason he was there, and the NHL eventually did as well. Despite being traded to an Atlantic Division franchise, he was not banished from donning the All-Star jersey and representing the Coyotes. After all was said and done, John Scott scored two goals, fought former teammate and NHL icon Patrick Kane, part of the winning team, and was named MVP of the three-on-three tournament.
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Scott revealed that the NHL attempted to discourage him from playing in the game several times, the most notable being the instant trade from Arizona to Montreal, but he decided to go. With the All-Star Game typically being known as the same production every year, it was quite entertaining to watch the NHL journeyman take the spotlight. This collection of iconic moments throughout the weekend may have been lost over the past seven years, but it was one for the storybooks.
