[Yamer]

Anyone who thinks that this event is overwhelmingly meaningless need only read Scott's words to know how much it actually means to some players. Even if he admits that he doesn't belong in that group, he's smart enough to recognize the importance and honor of being named an All-Star.

As to the reputation of the league in this whole fiasco, I think a lot of that was already out the window when they opened up the fan vote to be all-encompassing. It's only one side of the story, but I'm inclined to believe Scott on this. I hope the NHL has a sufficiently insufferable rest in the bed they have made for themselves.

The timing of the trade might be coincidence, but the optics are not in Arizona's favor. It's hard to 'hate' the Coyotes over this as it's important to remember that the players had no role in how Scott was treated by the organization. I think the reward of success for fans and players outweighs the reward for unscrupulous GMs and owners.

His family is not going to look back on this with embarrassment, especially since Scott was thrown into this situation with little to no measure of control and handled so (apparently) inappropriately. If Scott were my father and I knew the context of the whole story I would be rather proud that he stood up for me, my family, and himself.

At this point Scott certainly won't be remembered as "the joke", even if that is how a segment of voters intended it. I'm glad the story has shifted in the way it has, and although I was already going to watch the game this weekend all the turbulence will only add to my enjoyment.

Go John Scott!