Coyotes’ big man John Scott leads NHL All-Star voting
Dec 3, 2015, 7:56 AM
Arizona Coyotes' Stefan Elliott (45) celebrates his goal against the Edmonton Oilers with teammates John Scott (28) and Kyle Chipchura (24) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
John Scott of the Arizona Coyotes is a popular figure.
Nobody knew exactly how popular until this week.
The hulking 6-foot-8, 270-pound Scott is in his first year with the Coyotes. He’s played in only six games and has notched one assist and registered 18 penalty minutes. We’re not exactly talking about All-Star résumé-type stuff.
Don’t tell that to fans on NHL.com, who have Scott as the leading vote-getter in the balloting for the 2016 All-Star Game in Nashville.
You read that correctly. Scott currently leads Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Chicago’s Patrick Kane, Florida’s Jaromir Jagr and Dallas’ Tyler Seguin — a quartet that has combined for 1,202 NHL goals, 20 All-Star appearances, four Hart Memorial MVP Trophies and six Stanley Cup Championships.
How does Scott, who has a total of 11 points in 280 games with six different teams over eight seasons, have more All-Star votes?
Greg Wyshinski of Yahoo! Sports mentioned the idea of voting Scott into the All-Star Game, which will feature a new 3-on-3 player format for the first time, on his podcast. Others did the same. Then Reddit users got involved, fueling the campaign even further.
This could feasibly happen — Scott could be voted an All-Star captain for the Pacific Division, as the new format will also feature a mini-tournament comprised of teams from all four divisions. Does the NHL have a problem with a joke being carried that far?
Apparently not.
NHL's Bill Daly to Bleacher Report on John Scott/ASG :"If you have a fan polling system, and voting is legitimate, you honor the results."
— Adrian Dater (@adater) December 2, 2015
Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett was asked about it Wednesday, and had a good sense of humor about the whole thing.
“Hey, he’s been practicing well, you never know,” Tippett told Bickley and Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
Hey, why not? Have you watched the NHL All-Star Game ever? It’s nowhere close to a real hockey game. It is, in essence, a meaningless exhibition, and Scott’s presence would bring it some new flavor and put attention on the Coyotes in a league-wide setting.
If you want to ensure John Scott gets to Nashville Jan. 29-31, you can vote for him here.
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