The Official 2015-2016 NHL Thread

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Another big trade: John Scott to Montreal, who then immediately reassign him to the AHL, removing him from the All-Star game in the process.

What a lame situation this has been all around. Lame for fans to vote him in, lame for him to refuse to give up the spot to someone who deserved it, and now lame for the Coyotes (aka the Bettmans) to trade him away so they can try to wash their hands of it.

While the entire thing was a tragic comedy, in Scott's defense he seemed to be torn about what to do & was convinced by other players to accept.

At least that's how I read it.

[JPhillips]

There's a fan vote for what is supposed to be a fun exhibition. The fans voted in a guy fairly, but the NHL didn't like it.

Fuck Bettman for engineering this trade.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The saga continues ...

John Scott to participate in All-Star Game despite trade to Montreal Canadiens

[Honolulu_Blue]

1. I don't believe that the NHL played a role at all in that trade.

2. I am glad this national nightmare is finally over.

3. This will not at all impact my continued complete indifference to the NHL All-Star game. I think 1991 was the last time I watched it.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I'm a casual fan at best (the Sharks have done a pretty good job of killing my interest from normal to casual), but I actually like the new all-star format.

+1. I've gone from "not a chance I'd watch the NHL ASG" all the way to "I'll probably flip over for a bit if someone reminds me it's on". Seriously Jon, you're complaining that a meaningless high-scoring exhibition will now have fewer players on the ice to not backcheck or play any defense? Now I just wish it had been #VoteRobSchremp instead of #VoteJohnScott.

Originally Posted by Logan

I haven't watched an NBA All Star game in years but a 2 on 2 tournament sounds awesome.

Sign me up. Does the NBA force people to play with teammates, or could we see KD and Russell Westbrook each pick a player from a different team and then go at it?!? And yeah, it wouldn't quite be the same as when guys like Magic/Bird/Isaiah/MJ had personal rivalries, but the biggest problem with any all-star game is getting the players to care, and I could easily see a 2v2 tournament with those ego's leading to some feistiness (and maybe create some team chemistry problems too! which is part of why it'd never be allowed to happen). You think Steph Curry and Draymond Green wouldn't be going 100% and trash talking the whole league?

[Logan]

Thoughts on the Wideman hit? Reports are that the linesman was in the hospital last night dealing with concussion symptoms. Hope he sues the shit out of him.

The NHL needs to come down hard on Dennis Wideman for this vicious hit on a referee | For The Win

[Logan]

Jon Scott on the ASG vote and how the league has treated him since.

A Guy Like Me | The Players' Tribune

[bhlloy]

Read that earlier. Seriously fuck the NHL and the Coyotes with a rusty spoon. Especially the league that wants the hits on its website and encourages the fans to vote 10 times a day but is willing to ruin a guys life and career when they don't like the results.

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Logan

Jon Scott on the ASG vote and how the league has treated him since.

A Guy Like Me | The Players' Tribune

Love John Scott...Love he is a Mich Tech guy...I loved him before the Sabres, but I truly found out how great he was as a person with the Sabres and when the league fucked him...I was pissed. My GF didn't get my anger, but I had it.

I hope he enjoys the moment.

[bhlloy]

DOLA - I think Wideman is going to use the concussion/woozy excuse and skate (no pun intended)

I think he knew what he was doing but I don't know how you prove it. It's going to be tough for the NHL in the current climate to get a result here.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

DOLA - I think Wideman is going to use the concussion/woozy excuse and skate (no pun intended)

I think he knew what he was doing but I don't know how you prove it. It's going to be tough for the NHL in the current climate to get a result here.

I think if he wanted to use that excuse, he needed to do it immediately. Instead he made no such claims. He also looked pretty a-ok and regret-free sitting on the bench right after.

[JPhillips]

The pic with his daughter in his jersey and white tutu is great. I hope somehow he gets his name on the box score.

[Dutch]

That's not how you identify concussions though. I have no idea if it was malicious or not. I guess we'll have to find some data....Im looking at MMA and Boxing when you get knocked out and grapple/swing at the ref...maybe?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Logan

I think if he wanted to use that excuse, he needed to do it immediately. Instead he made no such claims. He also looked pretty a-ok and regret-free sitting on the bench right after.

The version I read earlier today is that he apologized to the entire officiating crew before the puck dropped on his very next shift.

Now he could be lying about that I suppose but it seems like a stretch that he would since it would have been visible to everyone (including TV) whether he did or not.

[The Jackal]

40.3 Automatic Suspension – Category II - Any player who deliberately
applies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actions
as set out in Category I), which physical force is applied without intent
to injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspended
for not less than ten (10) games.

[The Jackal]

NEW YORK – Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman has been suspended pending a hearing with NHL Hockey Operations on Tuesday, February 2, for an incident involving linesman Don Henderson during NHL Game No. 742 Wednesday, January 27, at Scotiabank Saddledome.

[EagleFan]

He should be suspended. That was very blatant.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Read that earlier. Seriously fuck the NHL and the Coyotes with a rusty spoon. Especially the league that wants the hits on its website and encourages the fans to vote 10 times a day but is willing to ruin a guys life and career when they don't like the results.

The NHL is certainly to blame in all of this but where is all the John Scott love coming from? People have some seriously short memories these days. This is the same guy that has 11 points and 542 Penalty Minutes in 285 NHL games. He has been suspended 3 times. He is (or was, until this all-star fru-fraw) the poster boy for the type of player that shouldn't be in the NHL at all.

I get it, the guy has a family, he's just trying to stick in the game he loves, he rode buses and studied as a kid, etc. But his on-ice actions shouldn't be ignored because he has the ability to be a nice guy off of it.

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

The NHL is certainly to blame in all of this but where is all the John Scott love coming from? People have some seriously short memories these days. This is the same guy that has 11 points and 542 Penalty Minutes in 285 NHL games. He has been suspended 3 times. He is (or was, until this all-star fru-fraw) the poster boy for the type of player that shouldn't be in the NHL at all.

I get it, the guy has a family, he's just trying to stick in the game he loves, he rode buses and studied as a kid, etc. But his on-ice actions shouldn't be ignored because he has the ability to be a nice guy off of it.

+1

John Scott is barely a hockey player who has gotten way more games and pay then he should have. He's a thug. I laughed at the ruining his life and career comment.

If anyone is really angry at this John Scott issue, they were just looking to get angry at the NHL for something.

IT WAS A JOKE. PEOPLE THINK ITS FUNNY. THIS MAKES HIM MORE OF A JOKE THEN HE ALREADY IS

[bhlloy]

You obviously didn't read the article, or think he's flat out lying in it. Pro hockey made John Scott a thug and a fighter. I guess he could have walked away and done something else with his life. He's in the NHL and getting suspended because some teams think there's still value in having a 6'8 guy out there whose sole job is to intimidate and walk the line of getting dirty with the other team. How the fuck is that his fault? You think he'd have even an AHL job tomorrow if he said he wasn't going to fight anymore?

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

+1

John Scott is barely a hockey player who has gotten way more games and pay then he should have. He's a thug. I laughed at the ruining his life and career comment.

If anyone is really angry at this John Scott issue, they were just looking to get angry at the NHL for something.

IT WAS A JOKE. PEOPLE THINK ITS FUNNY. THIS MAKES HIM MORE OF A JOKE THEN HE ALREADY IS

Yet, he is in the NHL...if he was barely a hockey player he wouldn't be.

I get that people don't like him because he is an enforcer and thug...but he is where he is because he was asked to be that way.

He did quite well as a defenseman at Mich Tech. He was happy sitting in the AHL and honestly expected to go on with his EE Degree and live a normal life but the craziness of the NHL had different plans for him.

He has made a ton of money playing a sport he loves and if the joke to get him to the AS game works in his favor, he has every right to relish, enjoy and choke the marrow of the moment.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

You obviously didn't read the article, or think he's flat out lying in it. Pro hockey made John Scott a thug and a fighter. I guess he could have walked away and done something else with his life. He's in the NHL and getting suspended because some teams think there's still value in having a 6'8 guy out there whose sole job is to intimidate and walk the line of getting dirty with the other team. How the fuck is that his fault? You think he'd have even an AHL job tomorrow if he said he wasn't going to fight anymore?

You're right, teams keep signing him so it isn't entirely his 'fault'. The problem is that Scott isn't this innocent puppy dog that just keeps getting thrown into dog fights and does what he has to in order to survive. He wants to paint it that way, but he is ignoring things like this and this. Never mind the more accurately borderline stuff where he just skates around picking fights, even when he's not supposed to be on the ice or the puck hasn't dropped.

Guys like Scott get paid and that's a problem on both sides of the fence, but he isn't some hero we should all be worshipping. Does he have the right to play in the game? Sure, of course. But the classy move would have been to thank the fans and yet politely decline the all-star selection and hand it over to someone actually more deserving for their hockey acumen, not someone that fans wanted to make the butt of a joke. But as usual Scott didn't do the classy thing, which just further cements my opinion of him.

[bhlloy]

Hmmm... I may have to backtrack on this one actually looking at Scott's PIM numbers in college and the NAHL. I find it hard to believe that you can put up 250 penalty minutes without ever being in a hockey fight, so I think somebody may have been telling porkies in his article.

Regardless, I still think he's been treated really shittily by the league on this, and it's a crisis of their own making. If they want to have the all star game have some meaning then there's a million ways to do that. But they love the cheap hits on the web site and the money they can make, so they won't.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

But the classy move would have been to thank the fans and yet politely decline the all-star selection and hand it over to someone actually more deserving for their hockey acumen, not someone that fans wanted to make the butt of a joke. But as usual Scott didn't do the classy thing, which just further cements my opinion of him.

Really? How many times exactly have we seen that happen?

Albert Haynsworth - "Sorry, I just had one good year and I'm fat and lazy. I'll take about 35 plays off a game. You really shouldn't give me all of this money. Give it to someone who deserves it:"

Ryan Braun - "Yeah, I juiced like hell to get my numbers. I signed my huge contract based off of that. I'm just going to go ahead and tear it up, it's the right thing to do."

Kobe Bryant - "I know I've deserved to be an All Star for all these years, but it's a joke i'm in the game now. There are some kids who clearly deserve it more than me, gi9ve it to one of them"


Look, I know nothing of John Scott other than what I've read of him the last few weeks. He sounds like the type of player I wouldn't cheer for. (not really an enforcer guy myself) But he's expected to turn down an all star game appearance because he should be the better guy? I'm sorry, but no. He was picked as an all star. He should go. The NHL person who asked him "Is this something your kids will be proud about?" should be beaten with a hockey stick.

[bhlloy]

In his defense, he did tell people to stop voting for him as well, and sounds like his teammates were very supportive of him going when he was selected

[JPhillips]

If you're going to have a fan vote, except whomever the fans pick. The NHL could have had a lot of fun promoting this and could have turned it into a great fell good story, but instead they decided to enforce their vision of who should be an All-Star and have been swimming in shit for the past few weeks.

It's a gimmick game that doesn't matter. Let it be fun.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Really? How many times exactly have we seen that happen?

Albert Haynsworth - "Sorry, I just had one good year and I'm fat and lazy. I'll take about 35 plays off a game. You really shouldn't give me all of this money. Give it to someone who deserves it:"

Ryan Braun - "Yeah, I juiced like hell to get my numbers. I signed my huge contract based off of that. I'm just going to go ahead and tear it up, it's the right thing to do."

Kobe Bryant - "I know I've deserved to be an All Star for all these years, but it's a joke i'm in the game now. There are some kids who clearly deserve it more than me, gi9ve it to one of them"


Look, I know nothing of John Scott other than what I've read of him the last few weeks. He sounds like the type of player I wouldn't cheer for. (not really an enforcer guy myself) But he's expected to turn down an all star game appearance because he should be the better guy? I'm sorry, but no. He was picked as an all star. He should go. The NHL person who asked him "Is this something your kids will be proud about?" should be beaten with a hockey stick.

He wasn't picked as an all-star, he was voted as one by fans. As a joke. It was a mean/childish thing for the voters to do. It's like putting the crappy fat kid on the high-school dance squad just to laugh at him. The fact he doesn't see that, or doesn't care, is kind of sad.

And again, I'm not siding with the NHL on this. They are run by a giant douche bag and do all kinds of douchey things, including everything they have done surrounding this story. They are 100% a-holes in this, and you're right, that quote above is disgusting.

Basically everyone in this story is full of fail. But Scott is becoming a martyr, which I don't think he deserves. And I think it's because people don't want to confront the fact that they thought it would be funny to put a non-deserving goon into a game of skill players, but really it isn't funny, it's just mean. So rather than look inwardly and see that, everyone says "hey, people wanted him there and the mean NHL doesn't want to see it! The poor guy just wants to put his kids through college! We love John Scott!".

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

If you're going to have a fan vote, except whomever the fans pick. The NHL could have had a lot of fun promoting this and could have turned it into a great fell good story, but instead they decided to enforce their vision of who should be an All-Star and have been swimming in shit for the past few weeks.

It's a gimmick game that doesn't matter. Let it be fun.

How would this have ever been a feel good story? "Dance Monkey, Dance!" is not feel good.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

How would this have ever been a feel good story? "Dance Monkey, Dance!" is not feel good.

The NHL could have sold it like the Tribune story. They could have had fun with the "regular" guy going to the All-Star game. The league didn't have to come off as the heel.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The NHL could have sold it like the Tribune story. They could have had fun with the "regular" guy going to the All-Star game. The league didn't have to come off as the heel.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

He wasn't picked as an all-star, he was voted as one by fans. As a joke. It was a mean/childish thing for the voters to do. It's like putting the crappy fat kid on the high-school dance squad just to laugh at him. The fact he doesn't see that, or doesn't care, is kind of sad.

And again, I'm not siding with the NHL on this. They are run by a giant douche bag and do all kinds of douchey things, including everything they have done surrounding this story. They are 100% a-holes in this, and you're right, that quote above is disgusting.

Basically everyone in this story is full of fail. But Scott is becoming a martyr, which I don't think he deserves. And I think it's because people don't want to confront the fact that they thought it would be funny to put a non-deserving goon into a game of skill players, but really it isn't funny, it's just mean. So rather than look inwardly and see that, everyone says "hey, people wanted him there and the mean NHL doesn't want to see it! The poor guy just wants to put his kids through college! We love John Scott!".

He WAS picked as an all star. By the rules of the voting, he's an all star. In the case of the NBA, the fans wanted to give a guy who clearly doesn't belong an All Star spot. Kobe may be a hall of famer, but it's pretty hard to argue he should be anywhere near that game or that someone wasn't screwed out of a spot because he's there.

As for the fat kid at the dance thing, who cares? Who are you to judge how HE views this? The article I read from the guy states he knows it was a joke. If he cries about getting laughed at after the game, I'll be on here stating he's a douche bag who got what he deserved. I don't think he's taking it like that. It's his life and however he wants to take it is fine by me.

You are ANGRY at him because he's becoming a martyr, but who the hell made him one? The NHL keeps their mouths shut and lets the guy play, it is treated as a joke and becomes a non story. Instead they get a douche bag who called up Scott and asks if his kids will be proud of him? F them. Seriously, F them with rusty nails. He's understandably pissed off about that type of treatment.

If the NHL or any other sport wants to make sure things like that don't happen, they closed the voting off to the fans. If not, shut the hell up and give the voters what they wanted.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by TroyF

He WAS picked as an all star. By the rules of the voting, he's an all star. In the case of the NBA, the fans wanted to give a guy who clearly doesn't belong an All Star spot. Kobe may be a hall of famer, but it's pretty hard to argue he should be anywhere near that game or that someone wasn't screwed out of a spot because he's there.

As for the fat kid at the dance thing, who cares? Who are you to judge how HE views this? The article I read from the guy states he knows it was a joke. If he cries about getting laughed at after the game, I'll be on here stating he's a douche bag who got what he deserved. I don't think he's taking it like that. It's his life and however he wants to take it is fine by me.

You are ANGRY at him because he's becoming a martyr, but who the hell made him one? The NHL keeps their mouths shut and lets the guy play, it is treated as a joke and becomes a non story. Instead they get a douche bag who called up Scott and asks if his kids will be proud of him? F them. Seriously, F them with rusty nails. He's understandably pissed off about that type of treatment.

If the NHL or any other sport wants to make sure things like that don't happen, they closed the voting off to the fans. If not, shut the hell up and give the voters what they wanted.

Great post. Pretty much agree with this 100%

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by TroyF

He WAS picked as an all star. By the rules of the voting, he's an all star. In the case of the NBA, the fans wanted to give a guy who clearly doesn't belong an All Star spot. Kobe may be a hall of famer, but it's pretty hard to argue he should be anywhere near that game or that someone wasn't screwed out of a spot because he's there.

He wasn't picked, he was voted, I worded it that way on purpose. The fans voting for Kobe are doing so because they want to see him one last time. It's coming from a place of love. The people that voted for Scott did it from a place of malice.

Originally Posted by TroyF

As for the fat kid at the dance thing, who cares? Who are you to judge how HE views this? The article I read from the guy states he knows it was a joke. If he cries about getting laughed at after the game, I'll be on here stating he's a douche bag who got what he deserved. I don't think he's taking it like that. It's his life and however he wants to take it is fine by me.

You're right, I shouldn't judge how he views this. I guess if someone is ok being the butt of a joke then that's fine, though I still don't think that makes the joke ok.

Originally Posted by TroyF

You are ANGRY at him because he's becoming a martyr, but who the hell made him one?

I'm not angry at him, even if I don't necessarily agree with how he has handled things. I'm angry (actually just annoyed, this story doesn't warrant anger) at the media and fans for giving him a free pass given his history.

Originally Posted by TroyF

The NHL keeps their mouths shut and lets the guy play, it is treated as a joke and becomes a non story. Instead they get a douche bag who called up Scott and asks if his kids will be proud of him? F them. Seriously, F them with rusty nails. He's understandably pissed off about that type of treatment.

If the NHL or any other sport wants to make sure things like that don't happen, they closed the voting off to the fans. If not, shut the hell up and give the voters what they wanted.

I don't recall ever defending the NHL in any of this. He has every right to be pissed about how they have handled things, I don't take any of that away from him. The NHL has done everything possible wrong, no argument from me there in any way.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The NHL person who asked him "Is this something your kids will be proud about?" should be beaten with a hockey stick.

As should every idiot that cast a joke ballot, just to be fair.

And, at this point, so should Scott. After reading his martyr essay the other day, I've got no respect for him left as a person frankly.

As an athlete who managed to claw & scrap his way into his sport's highest level as a fringe player? Yeah.

As a person? Not really, no. He sunk to whiny bitch depths & the sooner he's out of the league permanently the better. Fuck him, and fuck the idiots that voted for him.

[EagleFan]

Well, now he has an all-star goal to his credit...

[MizzouRah]

Two...

[bhlloy]

For an all-star game this is genuinely quite fun. Put it this way, this is the first all-star game I haven't turned off after a couple of minutes in forever.

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

As should every idiot that cast a joke ballot, just to be fair.

And, at this point, so should Scott. After reading his martyr essay the other day, I've got no respect for him left as a person frankly.

As an athlete who managed to claw & scrap his way into his sport's highest level as a fringe player? Yeah.

As a person? Not really, no. He sunk to whiny bitch depths & the sooner he's out of the league permanently the better. Fuck him, and fuck the idiots that voted for him.

Jon,

one of the few things we don't agree with. But I know him from Mich Tech and the Sabres. My brother and sister in law are professors at Mich Tech and I was able to yhim one summer at an alumni event. Then when I was doing my work in Buffalo I bumped into him a couple of times. I have a ton of respect for the guy.

[EagleFan]

At this point I want to see him get the game winner for the final.

[EagleFan]

MVP

[Fidatelo]

Despite everything I said, I'll admit that did come out pretty well. Crowd loved him, he had a blast, he performed admirably, and Bettman had to hand him an over-sized cheque. He does have a very endearing goofy smile.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Fire. Russo.

[JPhillips]

The breakaway in particular was cheap, but so what. It was pretty clear the other guys were all in for Scott.

Suck it Bettman.

[Logan]

I was kidding about it a few weeks ago, but the NBA should absolutely move to this kind of ASG format. It was great.

[The Jackal]

going back to the Wideman hit, Paul Stewart (probably others too) pointed out on hockeybuzz that since no physical abuse of referee penalty was called on the play, it does not fall under the realm of the 10 game automatic suspension. i'd imagine the league will still impose that anyways.

[Fidatelo]

Jets extend Buff for 5 yrs at 7.6 per. Pretty good deal for both sides. I really like that the term isn't over 5, and Buff will be worth those dollars for at least the first 3 years of the deal.

Now we see if Chevy can get a decent return for Ladd...

[MrBug708]

Kings won 9-2. Ouch

[Fidatelo]

Dion Phaneuf traded to Sens for the corpse of Milan Michalek and a bunch of other garbage. Not a bad deal for Ottawa in my estimation. Phaneuf may not be the franchise d-man that Toronto thought they were getting but he's a decent hockey player who can stay under the radar a bit more in Karlssons shadow.

[bhlloy]

Disagree - he's still not very good, and the Toronto brain trust has done a brilliant job of sheltering him this year to drive up his value. Go look at his usage charts this year vs last year (when everyone agreed he was awful)

That contract is already bad, will be by far one of the worst in the league in a couple years and the Sens aren't a big money team. They're also certainly not just a Phaneuf away from contending. Masterful move by Lamoriello and Shanahan in my opinion.

[Johnny93g]

Dion Phaneuf is a good hockey player, who got a great contract, that would have been given to him by 20 other teams. Dion is not a great player, but that's ok. He got a bad rap in Toronto based on expectations.

This trade is not Michalek's corpse and a bunch of garbage. That statement is pretty garbage. It's basically Phaneuf, for Tobias Lindberg, a fairly solid prospect, a 2nd round pick, and Jared Cowen, a 25 year old defenseman that needs to improve right away or risk being released! The rest is pretty much cap filler.

As a Leaf fan, I'm happy to receive those pieces, which are fairly valuable, and I'll miss Dion. Good player. Works hard. Hits, fights when many other didnt. Good community guy. I wish him nothing but luck in Ottawa and hope the fans are better to him then in Toronto.