5 things we learned in the NHL last week: John Scott gets the Sean Avery treatment
Plus, Vegas gains an NHL team but loses the 'Las'
Another week of the NHL season has come and gone, but not without teaching us a few lessons along the way.
Here's a look back at some of the most exciting and/or strange events that caught the attention of hockey fans over the last seven days and what we learned from them.
1. There will never be another John Scott
Well, that's what the NHL is hoping, anyway.
What do you remember from the 2016 NHL All-Star Game? I mean, aside from the journeyman tough-guy becoming a write-in candidate, captain, and MVP of the game itself?
No, that's OK. That's all I remember, too. Now the NHL has taken steps to ensure this (fun and exciting) type of thing won't happen again under its new system for all-star voting.
The so-called "John Scott rule" prevents any player who is injured or in the minors (except for a conditioning stint) from appearing on the ballot during fan voting for all-star captains. If a player returns from injury or is called up, he can be added to the ballot.
Of course, the NHL took steps to "fix" the voting process after the Rory Fitzpatrick campaign in 2007... and after the Zemgus Girgensons campaign in 2015. So maybe we shouldn't count on NHL all-star tomfoolery being dead and buried.
Scott isn't the first NHL player to have a rule unofficially named after him. We all remember the "Sean Avery rule" that resulted from this:
2. What's in a name? Not 'Las'
After months of speculation, we learned what the Nevada-based NHL team will be called when it starts playing on 2017.
So owner Bill Foley got his Knights, but had to add a colour. He also subtracted the "Las" from Las Vegas.
Now that we know what to call them, we have to start pondering who will actually play for the VGK (and also get used to seeing that acronym).
3. Family first(s)
The Pittsburgh Penguins' Jake Guentzel had a lot of firsts this week. First NHL game. First NHL shot. First NHL goal. First two-goal game in the NHL.
But the best part of all that was that his (very, very, very excited) family was in attendance for the whole thing:
4. Brent Burns earned that contract
The San Jose Sharks re-signed the offensively gifted defenceman on Tuesday to an eight-year deal worth $64 million US.
And here he is celebrating by scoring from just over the red line:
5. The Leafs *can* win when Matthews scores
It was all good news for Toronto on Saturday night. The Leafs beat the Washington Capitals and Auston Matthews scored this eventual game winner:
It marked the first time in the "Matthews era" in which the 2016 No. 1-overall pick scored a goal and his team won.