Video: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=940619&navid=nhl:topheads
NASHVILLE -- The 2016 Honda All-Star Skills Competition was a perfect night for John Scott.
The unlikely NHL All-Star got a rousing ovation from the Bridgestone Arena crowd and even pulled off a spin-o-rama in the Discover Shootout on Saturday.
"It was really an honor," Scott said of his reception. "I didn't expect that. I didn't know what to expect. I was really nervous, I was shaking a little bit and I was a little overwhelmed. It was really neat."
"He has the hardest role in hockey," said San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns, a former teammate of Scott's. "They never really get the credit that those guys deserve. They make all the young guys, smaller guys, they go into intimidating buildings and play bigger and better. It's great to see the fans react like that. It's nerve-wracking; I know he was nervous. That's a pretty special moment for him."
Scott didn't make any attempt to hide just how nervous he was.
"Oh my gosh, I was literally shaking out there,' he said. "My heart was beating a mile a minute."
The fans showed their affection for Scott right off the bat during the player introductions, and it was predicted by the player standing next to him, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Nashville Predators fans in the building also had a special welcome reserved for Kane, which Scott thoroughly enjoyed with a hearty laugh.
"I was dying," Scott said. "[Kane] said, 'Watch this, I'm going to get booed and you're going to get the biggest cheer.' So I knew it was going to happen. That was so funny. I liked that."
Scott was entered in the AMP Energy Hardest Shot contest in addition to the shootout and more than held his own, registering 95.9 miles per hour to finish sixth, ahead of Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin (95.0 mph) and Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (93.4 mph).
But Scott wasn't very impressed with himself.
"I've done it many times, I usually draw 98, 99, 100 [mph]," Scott said. "Not one of my better performances."
In the shootout Scott was stopped on his first attempt before pulling out the spin-o-rama on his second. It looked as though he was going to score, but New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider got his pad on the shot at the last second, drawing a big laugh out of Scott as he threw his head back in disappointment.
"I think that might be the second time I've tried it all time," Scott said. "So it's not something I do all the time. I don't really do breakaways."
The first time he did it was in practice a few years ago.
"Oh yeah, never in a game," Scott said. "You think I get to go in a shootout during a game?"
When asked if he had anything else in his bag of tricks, Scott said no.
"That's it," he said. "Bag's empty."
Scott's family was at the game, and he was caught on television interacting with his daughter during the competition. He said he was happy his family got a chance to see his big All-Star moment.
That includes his wife Danielle, who is nine months pregnant with twins and headed back to the hotel to rest as soon as the competition was over.
"Hopefully we have two kids still," Scott joked. "Hopefully we don't have four."
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