Ladies, gentlemen: your 2016 NHL All-Star Game MVP… John Scott

Everyone in the arena seemed to get a kick out of Scott’s goal.

John Scott speaks with reporters in St. John’s in January, after we was traded to the Montreal Canadiens and then moved to the AHL.

Atlantic Division goalie Roberto Luongo (1), of the Florida Panthers, stops a shot by Pacific Division forward Daniel Sedin (22), of the Vancouver Canucks, from crossing the goal line with his legs during the NHL hockey All-Star championship game, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

Scott’s selection to the All-Star Game had the league miffed, but it had fans entertained.

Those are high words of praise from the Bruins bench boss considering Scott was also an enforcer that’s just a couple of seasons removed from concussing B’s enforcer Shawn Thornton in a fight, and knocking Loui Eriksson out of commission for weeks with a nasty center ice hit that concussed the Swedish winger.

Count Claude Julien among the legions of newly converted John Scott supporters. John Scott will more than likely fade into the background in the AHL for the remainder of the season. The players and coaches were smiling and laughing pretty much the entire time and it was good to see.

His story being told again and again during All-Star Weekend in Nashville led to a lot of new fans. The Central team came back with goals by Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Seguin, but Taylor Hall and Drew Doughty would put the nail in the coffin even though Roman Josi netted one last goal for the Central team. Honestly, on some level, I agreed…. “You just can’t write this stuff”, he said after the game. I didn’t know how the players were going to react, but everybody has been overwhelmingly supportive.

“This is insane”, Scott said. He amassed 402 penalty minutes in 173 games played with Houston.

That was where the league’s brass at least suffered karmic comeuppance for what truly qualified as its persecution of the big lug, John Scott, who was selected to play in the All-Star game as an inspired, goofy joke. It listened to the voice of the people and did the right thing.

So thank you, John Scott, for bringing back the fun and excitement into the NHL All-Star game.

With all of the odds stacked against him and a minor league status, Scott suited up and skated onto the very ice that his own league didn’t want him to be on. Instead, the opposite happened. Anaheim’s Corey Perry scored the only goal, 13:38 into the 20-minute game. Whether or not Scott deserved a place on the team for his merits on the ice is irrelevant.

Journeyman enforcer John Scott was named the Most Valuable Player of the NHL’s latest rendition of an all-star event Sunday in – where else? And his kids were never more proud of their dad. And they are expressing their frustrations at the polls. His inclusion in the game also helped boost television ratings and definitely improved fan-engagement considering he was the overwhelming write-in candidate for All-Star Game MVP.

“There is no way John Scott should be in the All-Star game”. Even if they do, it may not last. But in sending John Scott to the All-Star Game, NHL fans sent a clear message to the establishment: You don’t run this show.

His fellow All-Stars were all too happy when the National Hockey League finally relented and acknowledged his win. It’s time for the political establishment in Washington to do the same.