NHL puts 'John Scott Rule' in place for All-Star fan voting

NEW YORK – The NHL is taking steps to avoid another John Scott situation at the All-Star Game.

The league on Monday announced new fan voting rules that disqualify players from being named All-Star captains if they're injured or sent to the American Hockey League. Scott, a journeyman enforcer, was voted in by fans last year when he was with the Arizona Coyotes and still served as the Pacific Division captain despite being traded to the Montreal Canadiens and demoted to the AHL.

Scott was the MVP of the 3-on-3 tournament that will be back for a second year, but the NHL didn't want a similar awkward situation to happen leading up to the 2017 All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.