John Scott, Former Arizona Coyotes Hockey Player, Will Play in the NHL All-Star Game 2016

Former Arizona Coyotes hockey player, John Scott, will indeed take part in the NHL's All-Star Game in Nashville. He'll serve as a captain to the Pacific Division team, despite being traded out of the conference.

"I am looking forward to enjoying a fun and unique experience at All-Star Weekend in Nashville with my family," Scott said in a statement. "While being voted to the All-Star Game by the fans was not something I expected to happen, I am excited to participate in the All-Star events with my fellow players."

If this was any other All-Star player, this wouldn't be news. But Scott isn't just any other All-Star player, very much the opposite. He's a hockey journeyman. In his 8-year career in the league he's played over 280 games, split between 6 different teams--the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, and his former team the Arizona Coyotes. He's scored a total of 5 goals over that span.

Before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens, he had touched the ice sparingly for the Coyotes, and his name on the waiver wire had actually appeared more times than it had on the score sheet. Furthermore, with his trade to the Canadiens, he's actually being demoted to their AHL team St. John's (like the minor league's in baseball).

So how was a player like Scott voted in to such a game? The Internet and Twitter (was there ever any doubt?). There was a hashtag directed specifically toward voting Scott in (#VoteJohnScott). It snowballed from there.

When Scott first began receiving a large number of votes, he urged fans to vote for other players who were more deserving--fellow teammates, even--but the votes continued to pile in. Then, the Coyotes traded him and everybody feared he would no longer be able to take part. However, the league upheld all pre-existing expectations, including Scott's desire to take part in the game.

Fans around the NHL can now breathe a collective sigh of relief.