NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Danielle Scott had tears in her eyes standing in the hallway at Bridgestone Arena.
Two weeks ago, her husband was banished to Newfoundland and the AHL, unsure if he would still be welcomed at All-Star weekend. She retreated back to home base in Michigan with their two daughters in tow and nine months pregnant with twins.
Through it all, Danielle Scott pushed him to attend. But she couldn't have scripted Sunday. No one could.
John Scott just had all 275 pounds of him carried on the ice on the shoulders of his teammates in perhaps the most iconic image of 61 NHL All-Star Games.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," she said. "I can't even believe this is happening."
Which part?
The two goals? The standing ovations and 17,134 chanting his name? The NHL ignoring him (again) as an MVP candidate, only to be overruled by fans? The $100,000 prize? The new Honda Pilot SUV?
It was a Disney movie on-ice in Music City. Except, it actually happened. All of it.
"It's unbelievable," John Scott said. "It just kind of gives you goosebumps when you think about it."
Even the Atlantic division All-Stars, who left Nashville with nothing to show for their 40-minute battle in the new 3-on-3 format, were not disappointed to lose. Scott was more than a fan favourite or media darling, he was a lauded by his peers for his self-deprecating humour and handling of an awkward situation.
In addition to the first two-goal game of his career, Scott registered the second hit in All-Star Game history and hilariously dropped the gloves with former teammate Patrick Kane in a faux tussle.
That left Jaromir Jagr, closing in on Gordie Howe for third all-time in points, to say: "I'm glad I lost today."
"Everything he got at the end, he deserved," P.K. Subban said.
The look on Scott's face when he skated to centre ice to accept the $1 million cheque from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said it all. He just sort of shook his head in disbelief.
The money, of course, was not nothing. Scott is earning $575,000 this season, while most of his teammates in the Western Conference locker room make 10 times that or more. Brent Burns admitted the Pacific stars were gunning for the money for Scott.
Scott's $90,909 cut will go a long way toward preparing his post-hockey career, which may arrive as soon as this summer with this being the final year of his contract. He hoped this weekend would open new doors in hockey, or even the media, but said he will "work a 9-to-5" like everyone else if not.
And the new SUV will help, particularly with twins arriving this week.
"I could really use it," Scott said, laughing.
But Scott's dazzling All-Star performance was a lot more than the spoils. It was vindication, that even an NHL enforcer can still be a pretty good hockey player. Burns, who has won an Olympic gold medal and previous All-Star appearances, admitted he was nervous. He said the nerve would have only been worse for Scott, who had never played a minute of 3-on-3 in his career.
Scott scored on his first shift of the game and then picked a top corner on Jonathan Quick for his second goal. Tyler Seguin told him he'd never seen anyone score top-shelf so close from the far side before. That settled him down - but his wife was still so excited she almost went into labour.
She is scheduled to be induced on Thursday.
"I jumped up when he scored his second goal, holding my two kids," Danielle said. "I'm like 'Oh my god, I better stop.' It was a little overwhelming. It's all of the stuff he's had to take to get to this point. It's so nice, because people don't get to see who he really is. I'm just overjoyed for John and our family."
No one knew how Sunday would work out, whether Scott's feel-good story would fade into background noise, or if he'd be embarrassed with the game's brightest stars whizzing by him. Those fears were real.
Before the weekend even started, Scott alleged an NHL official called to dissuade him from attending the festivities, questioning whether his family would be proud of the circumstances. Bettman declined to say who made the call or discuss specifics. Scott said he harbored no ill will, and that Bettman told him Sunday was "quite the story."
Safe to say: Scott's daughters were proud.
"I don't think this hockey game is going to change their opinion on me. They just love their dad," Scott said. "It was a good experience for them and I think it was a better experience for me. They had a great time. It's crazy."
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