John Scott talks fatherhood, life after hockey during return to St. John's

John Scott took a breather from life as a full-time fatheron Saturday, returning to Newfoundland to laceup alongside former Montreal Canadiensplayers in an alumnigame.

Scott received the loudest response from the Paradise crowd in the pre-game introductions, getting more cheers than Canadiens greats like Stephane Richer and Patrice Brisebois.

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The six-foot-eight enforcer wrapped up his hockey career last seasonwith the St. John's IceCaps, after being named most valuable player of the National Hockey League's All-Star Game in January.

"It's fun to comeback to St. John's," Scott said before the game.

"I had a lot of great memories here I came back here just because it's a good town."

Scott was launched into the spotlight last season when afan voting campaign went viral before the All-Star Game and he led all players in votingeven though his team,the Arizona Coyotes, often benched him.

League executives reportedly asked Scott to decline the invitation.

In the midst of the controversy, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens and demoted to St. John's.

In a too-good-to-be-true story, Scott went on to score twice in the all-star tournament, earning MVP honours and being carried around the ice on the shoulders of his teammates.

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These days, Scott carries his four children around on his shoulders at home in Michigan. At 34 years of age, his services were not required by anNHL teamthis season.

"It's kind of quieted down enough, I don't have to deal with all the media and stuff anymore," Scott said."I just enjoy it now it's over with. I enjoy being a dad now and I don't focus too much on hockey anymore."

His old job was grueling. There were some sleepless nights and it was dirty work.

Scott said being a stay-at-home dad is the same in some ways, but much different overall.

"It's definitely a change," he said."It's funny, [parenting]isa lot harder than hockey ever was. It's a different kind of work, but I like it."

Takes two to tango

Scott wasn't the only career fighter on the ice Saturday night, however, as Darren Langdon also pulled on his old Habs jersey.

The Deer Lake native played 64 games with the Canadiens in 2003-2004, registering 135 penalty minutes. The chance to play an alumni game was an honour, he said, as well as having the chance to meet Scott.

"I'd never met John before," Langdon said before peering up seven inches at the man next to him.

"He's big, but the bigger they are the harder they fall. I still think I might be able to take him."

As the two began to laugh, Langdontook back his words.

"Oh, not a chance,look at the size of the guy," he said."I'm just joking... if he was on the other team, I wouldn't even be saying nothing."

From heavyweights to hydro? Don't count on it

If life as a stay-at-home dad gets too tedious, Scott has a degree to fall back on. During his four years as a defenceman with Michigan Tech, Scott also picked up a mechanical engineering degree.

When posed a question about plying his tradeat Muskrat Falls, Scott smiled.

"That's going to be zero per cent chance... No chance I'm going up there."

But he won't turn down a chance to visit St. John's even if it means featuring in an alumni game for a team he playedone game with.

"I kind of fell in love with this little city. Any chance I get to come back here, I will."