Minor league player named All Star MVP

John Scott sat on the shoulders of teammates while fans chanted “M-V-P!”

And although the National Hockey League didn’t include him in its three nominees to vote for game MVP on Twitter, the social media site was flooded with write-in votes for him.

John Scott gave everyone something to cheer for, scoring twice – including on his first shift, 47 seconds into the game – and leading the Pacific division to a 9-6 victory over the Central. Scott was elected as captain of the Pacific Division while with the Arizona Coyotes.

National Hockey League officials tried to discourage Scott from taking part, he detailed in an essay on the Players Tribune website, citing one who asked him, “Do you think this is something your kids would be proud of?”

Buffalo centre Jack Eichel won third-star honours with two goals and two assists over two games. “You can’t make this stuff up”, he said.

Scott couldn’t believe his good fortune, saying “you can’t write this stuff, it’s unbelievable” yet on the final day of the first month of the year, we have what most assuredly will be a finalist for best sports moment of 2016.

“I’m sure he won over a lot of people, and got even more fans”, Chicago forward Patrick Kane said of Scott. But at least for one night, Scott was the star of stars, being named NHL All-Star Game MVP despite the league not including his name among the voting options for fans on the scoreboard. “Yeah, nerve-wracking, especially [because] Burnzie is such a spaz”.

“Again, just another moment of this weekend”.

Scott’s $90,909 cut will go a long way toward preparing his post-hockey career, which may arrive as soon as this summer with this being the final year of his contract.

Starting with the NHL Skills Competition on Saturday, the cheers Scott received from fans were as loud as the ones for the hometown Predators, which spoke volumes of the NHL fans’ decision to vote Scott into the game. This time, these All-Stars combined for 116 shots and 23 goals. He scored two goals in the new All-Star game tournament and lead the Pacific Division to a championship win and a $1 million team bonus. Scott was named most valuable player. The 3 on 3 tournament was exciting, but it didn’t have the same feel to it like a tie game in overtime knowing the next goal can win the game.

“That’s when they lost me”.

Goalies split the work with a 10-minute portion each and actually got the chance to stop shots rather than be targets in the net.

Scott, the personable enforcer who is now also a minor leaguer, stole the show. And securing the Honda SUV that goes to the MVP, which will come in handy with his wife, Danielle, expecting twins this week. However, Scott was traded before the All-Star Game to the Montreal Canadiens of the Atlantic Division and subsequently sent down to the American Hockey League to play with the St. John’s IceCaps.

He scored his second goal 3:27 into the final period on a breakaway, scoring top corner on Devan Dubnyk. “We’d like to have the babies at home”.

Jagr scored his fifth career goal in this event to help the Atlantic beat the Metropolitan 4-3.

He also got to be his true self on the ice Sunday.

He made a decision to play in the game.