John Scott has arrived in Nashville, Tennesse for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, however, things started off on the rough end ahead of the skills competition that took place on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Scott wants to wear AHL jersey
According to a report from Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports, Scott had made a request to the National Hockey League asking for permission to sport an AHL jersey, representing his current team, the St. John's IceCaps after having been acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in a recent transaction.
As for the way the 28 year old put it, he was "vetoed hard" as the subject was very quickly put to rest after comissioner Gary Bettman spoke with the media earlier in the day to clear the air.
Scott hit the ice wearing an NHL jersey instead during player introductions where the left winger recieved an outpouring show of support with a monsterous applause having taken over the building from both fans and players.
In a statement from Bettman, he said, "It was a closed issue from our standpoint; he was welcome to come and we welcomed him here. There was never an issue beyond that, despite the commentary and suggestion to the contrary.”
Scott was recently brought aboard the roster of guest writers at The Players Tribune where he had the oppurtunity to write about his experience and the situation where he had lots to say including the following:
"So when someone from the NHL calls me and says, “Do you think this is something your kids would be proud of?” That’s when they lost me. That was it, right there. That was the moment. Because, while I may not deserve to be an NHL All-Star, I know I deserve to be the judge of what my kids will — and won’t — be proud of me for.
This being said, his family continues to be there for him and his wife who was in attendance last night will be watching him once again as many continue rally behind him after all that he has gone through amidst this mess with great composure and understanding.
Patience is key
Patience has also played a key role in this for Scott who has been treated in an ill-mannered fashion and perhaps the front office needs to take a second look towards the future in terms of how situations such as these are handled.
In other news, Bettman and the National Hockey League have agreed to terms on a seven-year contract extension that will keep him in office through the 2022 season.
Round one of the 2016 NHL All-Star game will get underway at 5:00 PM ET with the Metropolitan division taking on the Atlantic division while round 2 gets going at 6:00 PM ET with the Central division taking on the Pacific division.
Coverage will be availible for viewing on all Sportsnet regional channels as well as NBC Sports, CBC and TVA. The game can be heard on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, 98.5FM and TSN 690.