John Scott Claims NHL Pressured Him To Drop Out Of All-Star Game

The NHL might have some explaining to do, if John Scott is to be believed.

The former Arizona Coyotes enforcer was at the center of a recent controversy after he was selected as a captain for this weekend’s All-Star Game in Nashville, Tenn. Scott was yo-yo’d between the NHL and the AHL before ultimately being traded to the Montreal Canadiens.

The trade to the Canadiens — which came with a corresponding move to the AHL for Scott — was viewed by many as a way to get Scott out of the showcase event.

Scott’s accolades certainly don’t match his All-Star counterparts. He’s played in just 11 games this season and has zero goals and one assist. Scott has 11 career points in 285 games — to go along with 542 penalty minutes.

After plenty of public push-back, the NHL eventually relented and said Scott could play in the game. In a piece for The Players’ Tribune on Thursday, Scott detailed the alleged lengths the NHL went to keep him out of the game.

“At first, when it became clear that I was going to win the All-Star fan vote,” Scott wrote on The Players’ Tribune, “I understood the league’s position. They didn’t mince words — This is not a game for you, John — but I understood all the same. Honestly, on some level, I agreed.”

Scott also said someone from the league reached out and asked him, “Do you think this is something your kids would be proud of?”

He also claims the NHL asked him to make a statement asking fans to vote for his teammates, with the hopes of slowing his momentum in the voting process.

“But while I don’t deserve to be an All-Star, I also don’t think I deserve to be treated like I’ve been by the league throughout this saga,” he added. “I’m an NHL player — and, whatever my set of skills may be, that I’m an NHL player is no accident. I genuinely believe that when I’m on the ice, or even just the bench, I make my teammates feel safe to do what they do best.”