SYRACUSE, N.Y. - There were still some nine minutes remaining in the third period when the excited mob of youngsters began gathering outside the St. John's IceCaps locker-room door.
John Scott had just skated off after picking up a 10-minute misconduct for playing a minor role in a scuffle, and the antsy kids were tripping over themselves in hopes to catch a glimpse of the NHL's unlikeliest All-Star Game MVP.
"I think I saw him!" someone gasped, peering through the dimly lit maze of iron supports beneath the dusty stands of Syracuse's War Memorial Arena before a security person shooed them away.