At six-foot-eight, 260 pounds, John Scott wastes a sizeable portion of roster space. This past year, Sharks fans were treated to his antics on a full-time basis.
Credit to John, though, he provided a small bit of amusement while contributing three goals more than expected and blundering his way to an even plus/minus rating. I’ve been hard on John Scott all season long, so here are the positively amazing highlights of what should be his only season in San Jose.
If Doug Wilson ever wants to look anyone in the eyes again – re: possession team aspirations – there’s no scenario where John Scott returns.
Perhaps the highlight of John Scott’s season should be that he scored more goals than the future Prince of Edmonton, Leon Draisaitl, while playing only one more game on the year.
Thanks for the memories, John, it’s been real.
The first goal of the season. Watch how Scott’s elusive foot speed is just too much for $5.5M defender Brooks Orpik. John Scott dangles his way to his first goal as a Shark and, surprisingly enough, it wouldn’t be his last.
Just in case history repeated itself, though, and it was his only goal as a Shark, he decided to commemorate the moment with a t-shirt of himself celebrating.
Next up on the John Scott hit list is Jonas Hiller who just couldn’t handle the heat from a John Scott zinger. Go to the net kids, good things will happen. Scott’s tremendous hockey sense found him in the right place at the right time. He buried it, but would you expect anything else from a 15.8% shooter?
Finally, the deadliest backhand in the National Hockey League. Just watch this beauty. Sidney Crosby only dreams of a backhander like this. This isn’t one of those ‘barely reached the net’ goals – this is a laser from his own zone to the very center of the net without even looking. That’s a goal only true goal scorers can make happen.
Now we move on to Big John’s bread and butter: fighting.
You’ll be surprised to know that John Scott got into as many fights as he scored goals, making his three fight total the lowest of his professional career for a regular season.
Up first and second is Tim Jackman – in the same game. Apparently Jackman is a sucker for punishment, that’s the only real reason you would fight John Scott twice in one game, even if he leaves to bench for you. After the first time even a respectable fighter would be forgiven if he pulled a Claude Lemieux and turtled. Not Jackman though. Honor, valor and several bruises.
Jackman tried his best to go to sleep on Scott’s arm so he couldn’t get hit, but Big John just punched him right off his sleeve.
In Jackman v Scott: The Rematch, Scott came over the bench for a change with the only intention of seeking out another scrap with Jackman – we’ll get to his Player Safety highlight reel soon. Jackman obliged, was knocked down in a single punch and then did the old ‘pretend to push the linesman to get at player’ move. Smoothly executed.
Scott’s third and final bout of the year was against Derek Dorsett of the Vancouver Canucks. I’m not sure that Dorsett was in a conscious state of mind when he decided this was a good idea. Dorsett is 6’0”, 192lbs. Scott has 8 inches and 68lbs on him. At least Jackman was 6’2”, 224lbs.
Three goals, three fight wins. Scott was on a roll this year. There’s no evidence to suggest that had the Sharks made the playoffs John Scott would have been held scoreless. In fact, it’s unrealistic to think that he wouldn’t score.
It wasn’t all great for John Scott, though. He has almost as many Department of Player Safety highlights as he does goals.
First, he received two games for the line change with the intent to beat up Tim Jackman.
Second, he receives four games for giving Jackman some unexpected chin music. He clearly didn’t want to waste his time dropping his gloves and stick this time around.
So there you have it. Three goals and three fights for six highlights, followed up by six games worth of suspensions. It’s been fun, John.
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