The days of the hockey enforcer are dwindling. They aren’t dead yet, though. The Buffalo Sabres proved that Sunday night.
The Sabres added a mountain of a man to the organization on the opening day of free agency, signing 6-foot-8, 270-pound forward John Scott to a one-year deal worth $600,000. Scott, who has also played defense, has 22 fights in his 146 NHL games.
“John's size and toughness make him a difficult player to battle against,” Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said. “His physical play will be a valuable addition to our team.”
The Sabres need for toughness was exposed last season with the Milan Lucic-Ryan Miller debacle. No one stood up the goaltender after Boston’s hulking forward ran him over. Scott has shown he’ll take on all comers. He had five fights last season while splitting the year with Chicago and the New York Rangers, including tilts with noted pugilists Deryk Engelland and Cam Janssen.
Scott has just one goal and five points in his four-year career. The 29-year-old from Edmonton started his career with the Minnesota Wild.
---John Vogl
