Where Now, NHL, in the Wake of That All-Star Afterglow?

The NHL definitely got it right when they made a tournament out of the All-Star game.

And they rolled sevens when John Scott had the night of his life.

Dude may be going back to the minors, but he wound up taking a bunch of memories with him ... and an SUV. Scott and his wife will put it to good use.

He'll also be the only player in the AHL with an official NHL ride.

True to the creativity of minor league franchise promotional departments, the St John's IceCaps are making the most of it:

The Montréal Canadiens' end of this feelgood aftermath is slightly more reality-based.

In other words, would they have a reason to call Scott up to the big club? After all, they traded for him. If that really was a straight-up deal as they, the Arizona Coyotes, and the league office claimed, the Habs surely had that thought rattling around somewhere in their minds.

The NHL will surely tweak the All-Star voting process, but the game format should stay the same.

The fans enjoyed it, as did the players, and NBC Sports registered a strong viewership.

Now, of course, it's back to business with playoffs on the horizon. If the second season started today, there would be no Canadian teams involved. It's a bummer being a team north of the Land of Stronger Currency these days.

It's also hand-wringing time for New Jersey, Minnesota, and Anaheim. They're facing early tee times,too.