The All-Star Weekend belonged to John Scott and he took former teammates Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski along for the ride.
Scott played 38 games for the Sharks in 2014-15 season which I assume made it easy for him to skate on a line with Burns and Pavelski.
The ex-Shark and his former mates electrified the crowd in Nashville and helped lead the Pacific Division to a win in the NHL's new divisional All-Star format.
The trio combined for 8 points (3g 5a) in defeating the Central Division squad by a score of 9-6 and the Atlantic squad 1-0 to seal the win.
Pavelski had one goal and one assist in the two mini-games, while Burns had three assists.
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Scott, who has five career goals in nearly 300 NHL games, scored twice and was voted as the games MVP by the fans. The same fans that voted him as team captain for the Pacific Division. The surprising win prompted his mates, including Burns and Pavelski to hoist Scott onto their shoulders for a victory lap that lasted just a few seconds because Scott really is a big dude.
As I watched the whole spectacle unfold I couldn't help but notice the prominence the Sharks played in the event. Burns and Pavelski stood front and center in the John Scott show and I thought that made it a bit more special, especially for my readers.
parting shot....
I also got a kick out of the much maligned Pacific Division winning the whole thing.
For winning the tournament, the 11 members of the Pacific Division team will dive-up the $ 1 million prize.
And again I was reminded just how good the Pacific Division actually is and the Sharks are right in the middle of that.
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A few more thoughts....
When I was a kid the NHL All-Star Game was a big deal for me. I loved being able to see that collection of talent on one sheet of ice. It was always a blast and it didn't matter if it was Wales vs. Campbell, East vs. West or North America vs. The World.
As I grew up the shine of the All-Star game dimmed a bit and pretty much became an afterthought to me.
But that all changed for me this year. The story of John Scott and his head-to-head battle with the bumbling NHL brass was must watch television. Scott's journey from enforcer to pop culture star was...is...really remarkable and it makes what the NHL tried to do to him that much more embarrassing.
So yes the story of John Scott drew me back in along with the NHL's revamped game format.
But I never expected what transpired on Sunday in Nashville. John Scott not only defied all odds but he dumped an extra large bucket of eggs on the faces of the NHL brass, who already look pathetic for the way they tried to Jimmy Hoffa the Coyotes/Canadiens enforcer in the first place.
Scott had himself a game.
The captain of the Pacific squad led his team to victory with a goal and an assist, and was named games MVP despite being left off the voting ballot by the same lame duck NHL higher-ups.
All is all it was a win for the little guy. I mean that figuratively and not literally. Scott is 6' 8" and nearly three bills. Scott said himself that he never thought he'd have a chance to play in an All-Star game. Forget about being the star of the game.
Scott became the first player in NHL history to have his first career multi-goal game take place in the All-Star game. It was the ultimate form of justice for the big guy.
The whole Scott saga made for a great weekend and proved again that the NHL has the best players and fans in the world.
San Jose Sharks Blogger • 
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