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ESPN hires former Puck Daddy editor Greg Wyshynski to be ‘a leading voice’ of NHL content

By Ian Oland

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October 10, 2017 12:23 pm

After gutting most of its NHL reporters in April, ESPN appears to be restaffing.

Nearly two weeks after Greg Wyshynski revealed that he was leaving Yahoo’s Puck Daddy – one of the most followed national hockey blogs on the internet, Wysh announced his new gig.

Wyshynski, who graduated from the University of Maryland’s journalism school and spent over a decade in Northern Virginia, will join ESPN where he will be “a leading voice for NHL content.”

Via ESPN PR:

ESPN announced today it has hired award-winning writer and editor Greg Wyshynski to be a leading voice for NHL content, covering the league as a reporter and analyst across platforms. Along with fellow ESPN hockey reporter Emily Kaplan, Wyshynski will write NHL news and analysis each week during the season and be seen and heard across platforms, including SportsCenter. He will start at ESPN on Monday, October 16.

“Greg is a trailblazer when it comes to NHL coverage and has cultivated a passionate following among people who care about the NHL, which includes both fans and league insiders,” said Mary Byrne, senior deputy editor, daily coverage. “We think he’ll bring an audience with him to ESPN and also find a legion of new readers, listeners and viewers as he delivers across platforms here. We’re excited to have him.”

In a series of tweets, Wyshynski said he was “beyond excited” to join the sports giant.

Former CBS sports writer Chris Peters, a talented work horse that can publish content fast, is also part of the new NHL team.

In a post on his personal blog, Wyshynski elaborated on his new responsibilities.

I’ll be writing daily, podcasting weekly, doing an occasional magazine piece and getting involved in all sorts of video fun. And I’m fucking euphoric to join a team that values hockey and its potential, as well as the getting the chance to play in an entirely new and elephantine sandbox.

I still have a lot to learn about the new gig, and will be attending an actual orientation for the first time since freshman year at Maryland. I’ll share details on where to find my work when I’m smartened up.

With many of the biggest NHL reporters leaving their everyday gigs to join The Athletic, Wyshynski’s decision to join ESPN is at first surprising. But Wysh loves challenges and there could be many huge opportunities down the road at ESPN.

In August, ESPN anchor John Buccigross spoke to BSN Denver and revealed that ESPN will be aggressive about landing “some” NHL games on the network after the NHL’s rights deal ends with NBC in 2021.

“I’m real optimistic that we’ll be a part of the NHL plan next time,” Buccigross told BSN Denver. “I’m not in the negotiations or decisions, but the negotiations open up in two years, and the (NBC) deal ends in three. There’s no doubt ESPN (was) very aggressive last time trying to get the package, and we’ll be very aggressive this time.. and I feel good about our chances to get some.. to have games in the next package.”

Buccigross continued, saying “I think we’re in a position, with our new BAM investment that we made with MLB Media, that’s a huge technology investment that ESPN and Disney have made (and we’ll own the whole thing soon, 100 percent of it) that’s going to give us a great position, tech-wise, for apps and things and the future of streaming. I think we would be a very attractive partner, with obviously plenty of networks and plenty of channels.”

Before landing at ESPN, Wyshynski spent the last nine years as editor-in-chief of the popular Puck Daddy blog on Yahoo! Sports, where he was the first blogger named to the list of “100 People of Power Influence” by The Hockey News.

He was also co-host of the daily podcast “Marek Vs. Wyshnyski”, with Jeff Marek of Sportsnet.

Prior to starting Puck Daddy in 2008, Wyshynski spent 10 years as a writer and editor at The Connection Newspapers in Virginia, where he received more than 50 Virginia Press Association awards.

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