{{Short description|Canadian sportswriter (born 1963)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Use Canadian English|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Scott Burnside | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1963}} | birth_place = Milton, Ontario, Canada | alma_mater = Carleton University<br />University of Ottawa | occupation = Journalist and sportswriter | years_active = 1986 to present | known_for = {{hlist|''Windsor Star''|''Toronto Sun''|''National Post''|''Ottawa Citizen''|ESPN|Professional Hockey Writers' Association|''The Athletic''}} | awards = {{hlist|Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award (2024)|National Newspaper Awards (1990)}} }}
'''Scott Burnside''' (born 1963) is a Canadian sportswriter. Burnside began a career in sportswriting with the ''Windsor Star'' where he covered the Stanley Cup championships by the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. He was the ''National Post'' sports columnist when the paper began publication in 1998, then covered the Toronto Maple Leafs for the ''Ottawa Citizen'', and was a special correspondent for ''USA Today'' on the Atlanta Thrashers.
Covering the National Hockey League (NHL) for ESPN for 13 years, Burnside's stories explained why something happened and gave a behind-the-scenes perspective. He was president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from 2013 to 2017, and subsequently wrote for ''The Athletic'', ''Daily Faceoff'', and cohosted an ice hockey podcast with Pierre LeBrun. Burnside has also wrote web site articles for multiple teams and the NHL Players' Association. He received the 2024 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award at the Hockey Hall of Fame, in recognition of a career in ice hockey journalism.
A graduate of journalism at Carleton University, Burnside was a columnist and spot news reporter for the ''Windsor Star'' and ''Toronto Sun'' before his sportswriting career. With the ''Windsor Star'', he won multiple Western Ontario Newspaper Awards, and the special project category at the National Newspaper Awards. After three years covering the criminal trials of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka for the ''Toronto Sun'', he cowrote the book ''Deadly Innocence'' published in 1995, and won two Edward Dunlop Awards and a Jamie Westcott Award for crime writing.
==Early life and education== Burnside was born in Milton, Ontario, in 1963.{{efn|Burnside is a native of Milton, Ontario.<ref name="Shaw-1997">{{cite news|title=A matter of trust|last=Shaw|first=Ted|date=February 15, 1997|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1997/172064335/}}</ref> His birthdate range can be deduced as April 25 to August 22, 1963, based on the following: *Age 33 as of February 15, 1997. (February 15, 1963 to February 14, 1964)<ref name="Shaw-1997" /> *Age 28 as of February 18, 1992. (February 18, 1963 to February 17, 1964)<ref name="Star-Feb-18-1992">{{cite news|title=Star education series wins award|date=February 18, 1992|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1992/172064599/}}; {{cite news|title=Star education series (Continued from A3)|date=February 18, 1992|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1992/172064523/}}</ref> *Age 27 as of March 16, 1991. (March 16, 1963 to March 15, 1964)<ref name="Star-Mar-16-1991">{{cite news|title=Star's staff equals best-ever standing|date=March 16, 1991|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1991/171941816/}}</ref> *Age 26 as of April 14, 1990. (April 14, 1963 to April 13, 1964)<ref name="Star-Apr-14-1990">{{cite news|title=When it comes to spot news, The Star is one, two, three|date=April 14, 1990|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1990/172064665/}}</ref> *Age 28 as of April 25, 1992. (April 25, 1963 to April 24, 1964)<ref name="Star-Apr-25-1992">{{cite news|title=Education series did its job, newspaper executive says|date=April 25, 1992|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1992/172064470/}}</ref> *Age 20 as of August 23, 1983. (August 23, 1962 to August 22, 1963)<ref name="Maidstone">{{cite news|title=Book will tell tale of township's memories|date=August 23, 1983|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1983/171941322/}}</ref> *Age 61 as of November 15, 2024. (November 15, 1962 to November 14, 1963)<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024">{{cite news|title=Ex-Windsor Star sports journalist inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame|last=Holmes-Hill|first=Millar|date=November 15, 2024|newspaper=Windsor Star|url=https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/ex-windsor-star-sports-journalist-inducted-into-hockey-hall-of-fame|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref>}} He played minor ice hockey in the Essex-Kent Juvenile Hockey League,<ref>{{cite news|title=McAvoy whips Shoreline|date=December 3, 1980|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1980/171941370/}}</ref> and was twice invited to training camps for the Essex 73's, while attending Essex District High School from grades 11 to 13.<ref name="Shaw-1997" /> He subsequently earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism at Carleton University, and in education at University of Ottawa.{{efn|Burnside was a journalism major at Carleton University.<ref name="Maidstone" /> He attended Carleton University and University of Ottawa, earning bachelor degrees in journalism and education.<ref name="Shaw-1997" /> Burnside was a graduate of Carleton University journalism school, and has a bachelor of arts in education.<ref name="Star-Mar-16-1991" /> Burnside has a bachelor degree in education from the University of Ottawa.<ref name="Star-Apr-14-1990" />}} While at Carleton, he contributed two years of research and was the lead writer of a book on the history of Maidstone Township.<ref name="Maidstone" /> Not knowing what he wanted to do in the future, Burnside joked that he might work for the ''National Enquirer''.<ref name="Maidstone" /> He began in journalism as a freelancer for the ''Ottawa Sun'', reporting on hockey and the Hull Olympiques.<ref name="Shaw-1997" />
==News and crime reporter== Writing for the ''Windsor Star'' from 1986 to 1992, Burnside was a columnist and spot news reporter, often covering events at Windsor City Hall.<ref name="Shaw-1997" /><ref name="Star-Feb-18-1992" /> In 1989, he won the Western Ontario Newspaper Award for spot reporting, covering a shooting death by the Tactics and Rescue Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police.<ref name="Star-Apr-14-1990" /> In 1990, his five-day series on shift work cowritten with Grace Macaluso and Ellen van Wageningen, won the family section feature at the Western Ontario Newspaper Awards,<ref>{{cite news|title=Star tops field in newspaper awards|date=April 22, 1991|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1991/172050904/}}</ref> and won the special project category at the National Newspaper Awards.<ref name="shiftwork">{{cite news|title=Series on shiftwork earns national prize|date=April 15, 1991|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1991/171941774/}}</ref> The series focused on problems facing shift workers, and revealed that nearly half of the workers in Windsor and Essex County worked outside of normal business hours.<ref name="shiftwork" />
Teaching English in Prague while on leave of absence in 1991,<ref name="Star-Mar-16-1991" /> Burnside wrote about language barriers for him and tourists in Pečky,<ref>{{cite news|title=Language barrier leaves many tourists speechless|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=April 13, 1991|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=65|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1991/172051590/}}</ref> and the local success of British rock band Ten Years After.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ten Years After big hit in Prague|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=April 13, 1991|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=28|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1991/172051610/}}</ref> Writing investigative articles about Czechoslovakia, he detailed the transition into a market economy as the government sold off small businesses to fund the State Bank of Czechoslovakia,<ref>{{cite news|title=Czechs step tentatively into market economy|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=April 20, 1991|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1991/172051627/}}</ref> and reported on environmental issues in Czechoslovakia, and the economics behind water treatment and land restoration.<ref>{{cite news|title=Environmental crisis casts shadow over Czechoslovakia|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=June 1, 1991|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=51|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1991/172051668/}}</ref>
In 1992, Burnside received a Southam News President's Award for cowriting the education series, "Our Failing Schools".<ref name="Star-Feb-18-1992" /><ref name="Star-Apr-25-1992" />
Moving to the ''Toronto Sun'' in 1992, Burnside and Al Cairns covered a series of violent crimes across Southern Ontario, including rapes, the death of Tammy Homolka and the murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French. Burnside and Cairns spent three years covering the criminal trials of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka for the "schoolgirl murders", then cowrote the book ''Deadly Innocence''.<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024" /><ref name="Zeisberger-2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/scott-burnsides-integrity-as-journalist-leads-to-hockey-hall|title=Burnside 'covered League with integrity and passion' en route to Hall of Fame|last=Zeisberger|first=Mike|date=November 8, 2024|website=National Hockey League|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> The book published in September 1995 by Warner Books, was based on facts from the trial and outside sources. The book contained few details of the assaults, but concentrated on what not heard at the trial, based on interviews of friends of Bernardo and Homolka.<ref>{{cite news|title=Comparison shopping the instant Bernardo books|last=Hemsworth|first=Wade|agency=SouthamStar Network|date=October 1, 1995|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-burnside-1995/172063256/}}</ref> Burnside won two Edward Dunlop Awards and a Jamie Westcott Award for his crime writing with the ''Toronto Sun''.<ref name="Shaw-1997" />{{efn|Sun Media presented the Edward Dunlop Award recognizing editorial achievements, named for a founding father of the ''Toronto Sun'',<ref>{{cite news|title=Honoring the best and brightest at Sun Media|last=McNellis|first=Maryanne|date=June 21, 1997|newspaper=National Post|location=Toronto, Ontario|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-sun-media-awards/172337885/}}</ref> Edward Arunah Dunlop Jr. who was president of the newspaper upon his death in 1981.<ref>{{cite news|title=Edward Dunlop, 61, president of Toronto Sun|date=January 7, 1981|newspaper=Toronto Star|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-edward-dunlop/172341083/}}</ref> Jamie Westcott was a ''Toronto Sun'' police beat reporter for three years, until his death at age 25 in 1989. The Jamie Westcott Memorial Award was established shortly after his death, for the best ''Toronto Sun'' beat report.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mountpleasantgroup.com/en-CA/General-Information/Our%20Monthly%20Story/story-archives/pine-hills/Westcott.aspx|title=James Andrew "Jamie" Westcott|date=2025|website=Mount Pleasant Group|location=Toronto, Ontario|access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref>}}
==Sports journalism career== Burnside became the ''Windsor Star'' sports columnist in 1997, when the newspaper expanded sports coverage and shifted to a morning publication.<ref name="Shaw-1997" /> He stated in a 2024 interview, that he "was really looking for something different after the Bernardo trial", but had never planned on covering sports.<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024" /> He reported on sports in Windsor and Essex County, and in Detroit,<ref name="Shaw-1997" /> and covered his first National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs in 1997.<ref name="HHOF">{{cite web|url=https://www.hhof.com/pdf/Release_2024-Media-Award-winners.pdf|title=2024 Hockey Hall of Fame NHL Media Award Recipients Announced|date=May 31, 2024|website=Hockey Hall of Fame|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> His tenure coincided with consecutive Stanley Cup championships by the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024" />
Transitioning to a national newspaper, Burnside wrote about sports for the ''National Post'' which began publication in October 1998.<ref>{{cite news|title=Windsor Star Columnist Lands Job With National Newspaper|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=September 26, 1998|newspaper=Windsor Star|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-burnside-1998/172116886/}}</ref> In September 2001, he was one of 130 layoffs from the ''National Post'' due to budget cuts and lack of profits.<ref>{{cite news|title=National Post makes staff cuts|last=Damsell|first=Keith|date=September 18, 2001|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto, Ontario|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/national-post-makes-staff-cuts/article1033578/|access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref>
Writing for the ''Ottawa Citizen'' from 2001 to 2003, Burnside regularly covered the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL, and wrote the regular "Inside the Leafs" column.{{efn|Burnside covered the NHL for the ''Ottawa Citizen''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former Senator reroutes NHL dream through Russia|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=November 23, 2001|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-burnside-2001/172496317/}}</ref> Burnside covered the Toronto Maple Leafs regularly for the ''Ottawa Citizen''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Leafs win can't disguise defence flaws|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=February 12, 2002|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|page=28|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-burnside-2002/172496425/}}</ref> Burnside wrote the regular column, "Inside the Leafs", for the ''Ottawa Citizen''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fans turn on Leafs by not turning out|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=November 3, 2002|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-inside-the-leafs/172519511/}}</ref>}} His columns on the Maple Leafs appeared in other Southam News publications,<ref>{{cite news|title=Roberts Leads way for Leafs|last=Burnside|first=Scott|agency=Southam News|date=May 1, 2002|newspaper=The Gazette|location=Montreal, Quebec|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-burnside-2002/172496581/}}; {{cite news|title=Ailing Leafs not giving up|last=Burnside|first=Scott|agency=Southam News|date=May 12, 2002|newspaper=Edmonton Journal|page=26|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/edmonton-journal-burnside-2002/172496774/}}</ref> and for CanWest News Service.<ref>{{cite news|title=Injury to Roberts could hurt Leafs|last=Burnside|first=Scott|agency=CanWest News Service|date=March 16, 2003|newspaper=Calgary Herald|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-burnside-2003/172519829/}}</ref> He also covered the NHL, the Atlanta Thrashers, and Maple Leafs as a special correspondent for ''USA Today''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thrashing about for survival: Duo gives fans hope in Atlanta|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=January 8, 2002|newspaper=USA Today|location=McLean, Virginia|page=31|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-burnside-2002/172496148/}}; {{cite news|title=Maple Leafs long for first Stanley Cup since 1967|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=April 9, 2003|newspaper=USA Today|location=McLean, Virginia|page=51|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-burnside-2003/172519928/}}</ref> He was also a cast member of ''Leafs TV'' during the 2002–03 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=What's on TV|date=March 11, 2003|newspaper=Toronto Star|page=66|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-burnside-2003/172497282/}}</ref>
Burnside returned to writing for the ''National Post'' from June 2003 until October 2004.{{efn|Burnside covered the Toronto Maple Leafs for the ''National Post'' in June 2003.<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't count on Leafs to spend|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=June 21, 2003|newspaper=National Post|location=Toronto, Ontario|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-burnside-2003/172520031/}}</ref> Burnside covered sports for the ''National Post'' in October 2004.<ref name="Post-Oct-2004">{{cite news|title=Broadway Joe: booze, broads and bucks|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=October 16, 2004|newspaper=National Post|location=Toronto, Ontario|page=40|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-burnside-2004/172119000/}}</ref>}} During this time, he also covered the Atlanta Thrashers for CanWest and ''USA Today'', and the Toronto Maple Leafs for The Canadian Press.{{efn|Burnside covered the Atlanta Thrashers for CanWest News Service.<ref>{{cite news|title=Horrific crash leaves Thrashes hospitalized|last=Burnside|first=Scott|agency=CanWest News Service|date=October 1, 2003|newspaper=Edmonton Journal|page=31|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/edmonton-journal-burnside-2003/172522340/}}</ref> Burnside covered the Atlanta Thrashers as a special correspondent for ''USA Today''.<ref>{{cite news|title=In honor of Snyder, Thrashers earn win|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=October 10, 2003|newspaper=USA Today|location=McLean, Virginia|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-burnside-2003/172522362/}}</ref> Burnside covered the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Canadian Press.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former Maple Leaf Modin strikes it big with Lightning|last=Burnside|first=Scott|agency=The Canadian Press|date=May 15, 2004|newspaper=The Kingston Whig-Standard|page=25|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-whig-standard-burnside-2004/172522387/}}</ref>}}
===ESPN and the Professional Hockey Writers' Association=== Burnside was covering the NHL for ESPN beginning in October 2004,<ref name="Post-Oct-2004" /> remaining there for 13 years.<ref name="Athletic-2018">{{cite news|title=Proud to be back on a team that's passionate about answering hockey fans' questions|last=Burnside|first=Scott|date=April 11, 2018|work=The Athletic|publisher=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/304929/2018/04/11/scott-burnside-proud-to-be-back-on-a-team-thats-passionate-about-answering-hockey-fans-questions/|access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref> His stories explained why something happened, giving fans a behind-the-scenes perspective. He interviewed Sidney Crosby in 2009, discussing the loss by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Crosby's subsequent recovery from concussions, then the victory in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals followed by a details of the parade given to Crosby when taking the Stanley Cup home for a day. In 2015, Burnside accompanied Alexander Ovechkin on charity promotions, writing about a night of bowling, and an appearance at Andrews Air Force Base where Ovechkin was attacked by a military dog and used a bomb disposal robot.<ref name="Zeisberger-2024" />
According to Burnside, his favourite story with ESPN was reporting on the selection process of the United States national team for ice hockey at the 2014 Winter Olympics.<ref name="Q&A">{{cite web|url=https://www.thephwa.com/2015/02/22/q-a-with-scott-burnside/|title=Q & A With Scott Burnside|last=Erickson|first=Kelly|date=February 22, 2015|website=Professional Hockey Writers' Association|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> He and Kevin Allen of ''USA Today'' were the only two journalists given access to the meetings.<ref name="Q&A" /><ref name="Cole-2014">{{cite news|title=GMs' frank discussion refreshing: Shows how U.S. Olympic hockey team selected|last=Cole|first=Cam|author-link=Cam Cole|date=January 4, 2014|work=Ottawa Citizen|page=21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-burnside-2014/172063687/}}</ref> USA Hockey hoped that the resulting story would popularize the game in the USA, despite the criticism written about the process by Burnside and Allen.<ref name="Cole-2014" /> The story was one of Burnside's longest in his career, and created more discussion than he anticipated.<ref name="Q&A" />
Burnside was president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) from 2013 to 2017, which aimed to preserve access for North American media covering ice hockey.<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024" /><ref name="aboutthephwa">{{cite web|url=https://www.thephwa.com/about-the-phwa/|title=About the PHWA|last=Allen|first=Kevin|author-link=Kevin Allen (journalist)|date=July 1, 2020|website=Professional Hockey Writers' Association|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> He thought the PHWA was facing new challenges since the number of newspaper and radio journalists were decreasing, and being replaced by social media, independent bloggers, and teams producing their own content.<ref name="Q&A" /> During his time as president, he oversaw voting by its members for end-of-season NHL awards, honours for all-stars and rookies, and establishment of two awards—the Jim Kelley Memorial Scholarship in the 2015–16 season for the child of a PHWA member, and the Red Fisher Award in the 2016–17 season for the top NHL journalist.<ref name="aboutthephwa" />
In 2017, ESPN laid off multiple hockey writers including Burnside.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/04/27/espn-just-gutted-its-hockey-coverage-in-the-middle-of-the-stanley-cup-playoffs/|title=ESPN just gutted its hockey coverage in the middle of the Stanley Cup playoffs|last=Steinberg|first=Dan|date=April 27, 2017|work=The Washington Post|access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref> Burnside subsequently resigned as PHWA president, and succeeded by Mark Spector of Sportsnet.<ref>{{cite news|title=Petersen snub spotlights college free agent quandry|last=Harrington|first=Mike|date=June 26, 2017|newspaper=The Buffalo News|page=D1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-burnside-2017/172550809/}}; {{cite news|title=Harrington (from D1): Clarifying access rules|last=Harrington|first=Mike|date=June 26, 2017|newspaper=The Buffalo News|page=D3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-burnside-2017/172550895/}}</ref>
===Later career=== Burnside began writing for the Dallas Stars in 2017, as a digital correspondent on the Stars and the NHL for the team's web site.<ref>{{cite web|title=After being laid off at ESPN, NHL writer Scott Burnside has a new job with the Dallas Stars|last=Putterman|first=Alex|date=June 1, 2017|website=Awful Announcing|url=https://awfulannouncing.com/nhl/laid-off-espn-nhl-writer-scott-burnside-new-job-dallas-stars.html|access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref> He felt working for the Stars was a "revelatory hockey season", since he learned how an NHL team operated from an inside perspective.<ref name="Athletic-2018" />
From 2018 to 2021, Burnside was the national hockey writer for ''The Athletic''.<ref name="Athletic-2018" /><ref>{{Cite tweet|user=OvertimeScottB|number=1421098632061890565|title=And so my time at The Athletic has come to an end. Thanks for reading along or listening along. It's been a true pleasure. Here's to what is next. Adieu.|date= July 30, 2021|access-date=May 17, 2025}}</ref> During this time, he wrote about the rise and fall of goaltender Ray Emery, who drowned in Lake Ontario at age 35.<ref name="Zeisberger-2024" />
Burnside joined ''Daily Faceoff'' in October 2021 as a senior writer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/authors/scottdburnsidegmail-com|title=Recent Articles written by Scott Burnside|date=2025|website=Daily Faceoff|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref> He also collaborated on a recurring ice hockey podcast with Pierre LeBrun, titled "Two-Man Advantage", discussing the NHL.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://player.fm/series/two-man-advantage-w-burnside-lebrun-a-show-on-the-nhl|title=Two-Man Advantage w/ Burnside & LeBrun–A Show on the NHL|website=Player FM|access-date=May 17, 2025}}</ref> Other organizations Burnside has written for include the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators,<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024" /> Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, and the National Hockey League Players' Association.<ref name="Zeisberger-2024" />
==Honours and reputation== The PHWA made Burnside lifetime member after serving as president,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thephwa.com/chapters/lifetime-phwa-members/|title=Lifetime PHWA Members|date=2024|publisher=Professional Hockey Writers' Association|access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref> and selected him to receive the 2024 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award at the Hockey Hall of Fame, in recognition of a career in ice hockey journalism.<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024" /><ref name="Zeisberger-2024" /><ref name="HHOF" /> PHWA president Frank Seravalli stated, "Burnside is someone who is unafraid to ruffle feathers by reporting on difficult topics or to offer a cutting opinion", and that "He always remained true to himself, and gave back by mentoring countless young hockey writers along the way".<ref name="HHOF" />
Burnside reportedly frequented dive bars, with one such bar in Pittsburgh was known as his "second office" by colleagues.<ref name="Zeisberger-2024" /> His writing style was to "expose how and why it happened", and produce "pieces he [would] want to read himself", because "he [loved] the storytelling".<ref name="Zeisberger-2024" /> Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin stated, "No matter what the story is, whether negative or positive, you know [Burnside is] going to be fair", and that "People feel comfortable talking to him because they trust him, no matter the circumstances".<ref name="Zeisberger-2024" />
==Personal life== Burnside is married to Colleen McEdwards, has one son,<ref name="Holmes-Hill-2024" /><ref name="Zeisberger-2024" /> plays hockey, baseball, and golf, and is a regular participant in sports betting pools.<ref name="Shaw-1997" /> He resided in Essex, Ontario, while writing for the ''Windsor Star'',<ref name="Star-Apr-14-1990" /> and has lived in Metro Atlanta since 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/author/scott-burnside/|title=Scott Burnside|website=Sportsnet|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book|last1=Burnside|first1=Scott|last2=Cairns|first2=Alan|title=Deadly innocence|publisher=Warner Books|location=New York|year=1995|isbn=0-446-60154-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/deadlyinnocence00burn}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnside, Scott}} Category:1963 births Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:20th-century Canadian journalists Category:20th-century Canadian male journalists Category:21st-century Canadian journalists Category:21st-century Canadian male journalists Category:Canadian columnists Category:Canadian crime writers Category:Canadian expatriate journalists in the United States Category:Canadian ice hockey podcasters Category:Canadian newspaper journalists Category:Canadian newspaper reporters and correspondents Category:Canadian podcasters Category:Canadian sportswriters Category:Carleton University alumni Category:Crime journalists Category:Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award recipients Category:ESPN people Category:Journalists from Ontario Category:Mass media people from Atlanta Category:National Post people Category:Ottawa Citizen people Category:People from Essex, Ontario Category:People from Milton, Ontario Category:The Athletic journalists Category:Toronto Sun people Category:University of Ottawa alumni Category:USA Today journalists