Hockey Hall of Fame sportswriter Scott Burnside visits Newhouse ahead of 2026 Olympics

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Next week, Scott Burnside is heading to Milano Cortina to write for the 2026 Winter Olympics for the NHL Players’ Association. On Wednesday, the 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee was at Syracuse University, talking with students about versatility, the importance of building relationships and the upcoming Olympics.

Burnside (left) talks with moderator Nico Horning ’26 (right) about versatility. © Eddie McCarthy

The conversation, hosted by the Newhouse Sports Media Center and moderated by Nico Horning ’26, took place in the Time Warner Room at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Burnside has been writing about the NHL since 1997 for a variety of outlets including ESPN, USA Today, The Athletic and, most recently, the NHLPA. Yet his career hasn’t been limited to print journalism. Through the years, Burnside has made countless appearances on hockey-themed television programs, radio shows and podcasts. Versatility, Burnside stressed, is a must for young journalists entering the job market.

“It’s about trying to be as good as you can be at as many things that you can be good at,” Burnside said. “If you can come to the table with a bunch of things you can do, that makes you attractive.”

Equally important to versatility is the ability to build relationships with players, coaches and organizations. Burnside reflected on some of his favorite career moments including extensive one-on-one time with Penguins Star Sidney Crosby during the Pittsburgh captain’s day with the Stanley Cup in Nova Scotia in 2009.

SMC students listen to Burnside discuss the importance of building relationships. © Eddie McCarthy

He also referenced being one of only two reporters with behind-the-scenes access to USA Hockey’s process for selecting the 2014 Olympic roster. None of that, Burnside emphasized, would have been possible without the relationships he’d built. The key to building relationships, he said, is transparency.

“Be honest about what you’re writing, how you’re approaching the story and the people you’re talking to as you build out the story,” Burnside said. “As often as possible, explain the story you’re working on and engage them in the process.”

Guests applaud Burnside (left) beside moderator Nico Horning ’26 (right). © Eddie McCarthy

This February will be Burnside’s fourth Winter Olympics, but these Games figure to be extra special because it’s the first time since 2014 that NHL players will be participating. Because of the relationships he’s built and the respect he’s earned from the hockey community, Burnside will have more access to the players and their families in Milano Cortina than most other journalists. Still, he said he’s not treating this assignment any differently than stories in years past.

“I try and approach every story with the same eye,” Burnside said. “I just ask myself: ‘What would I want to read about?’”