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John Scott likes NHL’s new John Scott Rule for All-Star Game

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Getty Images

The NHL announced on Monday that it had changed the rules for All-Star Game fan voting, in light of the John Scott situation in last season’s game.

If a player gets demoted to the American Hockey League, as Scott was after the Arizona Coyotes (curiously) traded him to the Montreal Canadiens during his now-legendary All-Star campaign, that player is no longer eligible to play in the All-Star Game. (Conditioning stints are exempt.)

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The NHL also established new rules regarding players that are injured or not on the active roster during the fan balloting, which runs through Jan. 2.

These rules were established in the aftermath of the fan voting campaign that resulted in enforcer John Scott not only getting into the 2016 All-Star Game but winning MVP in a fairytale moment.

So one wonders: What did the man himself think of these new rules?

Jeff Marek, our podcasting buddy, asked Scott that very thing on Sportsnet on Monday:


“I expected something to come about,” said Scott. “It’s good. Something had to happen. I don’t think they wanted a situation like me to happen again. Guys in the AHL, guys that are hurt … I don’t think they should be included anymore. I think it was a one-time thing. It’s a good rule.”

Scott doesn’t believe that another “John Scott” campaign will happen in the NHL this season. “Lightning struck there. I don’t know how it’s possible to do it again. But you never know, there are some good personalities in the NHL,” he said.

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Scott told Marek that he actually has two players in mind for a fan vote campaign this season. One is his former San Jose Sharks teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic, whom Scott believes is perhaps the best defenseman in the NHL.

The other? Steve Ott of the Detroit Red Wings. “For the sheer entertainment factor,” said Scott.

(In full disclosure, this site played a role in that fan campaign.)

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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