First Star, Worst Star: January 3rd, 2016

Happy New Year everybody! It’s a brand new year, a time to make resolutions, grow older and wiser, and try new things! Who am I kidding, most of us have probably already broken our resolutions and we’re just gonna spend another year being the same crappy people we were in 2015. And with that I bring you the first edition of First Star, Worst Star of 2016!

Well it happened: John Scott is an NHL All-Star! Thanks to the NHL’s hilariously shortsighted fan voting system the internet was able to rally and enough people voted that we’re now living in a reality in which John Scott is a captain of an NHL All Star team. 

Some people aren’t super happy with this, as they feel it makes a mockery of the game, and let’s be honest; John Scott, with 11 career NHL points, is obviously not an all star. 

Others feel that this is the NHL getting what it deserves for constantly tinkering with the game itself, which a lot of people already think is a boring waste of time, and if anything this has brought more interest to the all star game than it’s seen in years. 

I think it’ll be interesting to see the big fella out there with players like Patrick Kane and Taylor Hall as the NHL tries out the 3 on 3 format this year. And hell, if John Scott is going to go out there and have fun with it, so should the rest of us. 

John Scott: NHL All-Star. What a time to be alive! 

It just wasn’t meant to be. For the first time since 1998 Team Canada failed to make the semi-finals of the World Juniors. While Saturday’s game against Finland was an incredibly entertaining barn burner, this team just never seemed to put it together all tournament. 

Mitch Marner, Brayden Point and Dylan Strome led the way with 6 points a piece, but they couldn’t help the team overcome undisciplined play, mediocre goaltending and also has anyone seen Jake Virtanen? He made the Canucks out of training camp but did absolutely nothing in the tournament, finishing with zero points and earning himself a questionable double minor in the third period that all but handed the Finns the game in Canada’s tournament ending quarterfinal loss. Mackenzie Blackwood struggled to find any consistency, and a lot of people are questioning coach Dave Lowry’s decision to give him the crease after missing the first two games of the tournament due to suspension. All in all it was a very poor showing by this years Team Canada squad, as they were more or less a non-factor in the tournament. 

It is encouraging, however, that the gap appears to have close between Canada and the rest of the junior hockey world. Parity in the tournament makes for much more fun hockey, and hopefully this will push Hockey Canada to raise their game and get back on top to their rightful spot as the world’s foremost hockey power!

And hey, at least we still have the Spengler Cup!