Don Cherry rips fans for voting John Scott to all-star game
Former Coyote was traded to Montreal last week and immediately sent to AHL
The ire of Don Cherry was raised on Saturday night when Ron MacLean asked him about John Scott.
Cherry used his Coach's Corner television segment as an opportunity to berate the fans who voted in Scott as starter for the NHL all-star game.
Scott, who has five career NHL goals, was the top vote-getter for the all-star game and was named captain of the Pacific Division team when he was a member of the Arizona Coyotes.
Scott was then traded to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday and immediately sent to St. John's of the AHL, causing a stir about what will happen to his all-star nomination.
Scott told reporters Sunday that his participation in the all-star game is "still kind of up in the air."
Cherry went off on the fans who voted for Scott, calling them "jerks" and accused them of turning a competent NHL player who "was doing pretty good playing six minutes" into a minor league player with a minor league contract.
Cherry was incredibly upset with those he said used the opportunity as a joke.
"'We'll upset the NHL, we'll upset this, it'll be funny'" Cherry said. "Kid's in the minors now, you upset the trade, four families that have to go now, I bet you're very proud of yourself."
Fans weren't happy with Cherry's comments.
<a href="https://twitter.com/CoachsCornerCBC">@CoachsCornerCBC</a> disagree on your John Scott take.The fans didn't trade him to another division to ruin his chance at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLAllStar?src=hash">#NHLAllStar</a>
—@darrenthibeauyes <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachsCornerCBC">@CoachsCornerCBC</a> we were the ones who voted for John Scott. all-Star game is a fan event. for the fans.
—@AffleckThoughtsFor the first time in a while I disagree with Don Cherry, they asked us to vote and that's what we did! Don't keep blaming us <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeJohnScott?src=hash">#FreeJohnScott</a>
—@DLumsden22A #FreeJohnScott hashtag was trending on social media as the story unfolds, with former NHL defenceman Mike Commodore weighing in.
He had Tshirts ready?! Now I am getting pissed at this shady trade/demotion. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeJohnScott?src=hash">#FreeJohnScott</a>
—@commie22<a href="https://t.co/G2ZeAEFsWa">pic.twitter.com/G2ZeAEFsWa</a> this honestly makes me so upset 😥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeJohnScott?src=hash">#FreeJohnScott</a>
—@tseven30I don't care if he's in the KHL, if the fans vote a player into the <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL">@NHL</a> allstar game let him play. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bettmanthedictator?src=hash">#bettmanthedictator</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeJohnScott?src=hash">#FreeJohnScott</a>
—@Arjoel10Throughout all of this, Scott was practicing with his new team, the St. John's IceCaps, for the first time on Sunday morning.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JohnScott?src=hash">#JohnScott</a> makes his first appearance as an IceCap at Mile One Centre this morning. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoIceCapsGo?src=hash">#GoIceCapsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/TP3Prh0fJw">pic.twitter.com/TP3Prh0fJw</a>
—@IceCapsAHL