Stefen Rosner answers your questions following his first full season on the New York Islanders beat.

Since joining the New York Islanders beat halfway through the 2021-22 NHL season, the opportunity has been nothing short of a dream. 

From building relationships with players, colleagues, and fans to traveling, it's an experience that I never, and will never, take for granted.

I thought it would be cool to let you guys pick my brain on the experience, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.

As a lifelong fan, how hard is it to not root in the press box?

I wanted to start with this one because it's a great question. Growing up on Long Island, I lived at Nassau Coliseum. You couldn't get me to do anything when a game was on, and you bet I was missing family events to sit and watch regular season games during a time when the Islanders struggled (I'm 25).

That being said, everything changed for me back in 2018 when I took a role covering the Islanders in college for a site called Islanders Insight.

I realized that to be as good as possible, there could be zero bias in my writing. And, so, I essentially cold-turkeyed the fandom. 

And since I've joined the beat, I have a new relationship with the Islanders. Do I want them to win? For sure, because when the players are happy, the content is better, and you can get more out of the players and coach.

You root for guys in a different light, like a Hudson Fasching, who I got to watch from development camp until the end of playoffs, grow as an NHLer on the ice and in the room with reporters. You see how hard guys work daily, and you want them to succeed. 

So, my view is different now, but I wouldn't change my situation for the world. 

What are your takeaways from the season for you personally? Did you find out anything you initially had the wrong idea about (thought one thing, but it was different)?

Great question. There are a few things that I've learned that I think are valuable to share.

The first thing is that while myself and the other members of the beat are competing with one another for coverage, we act more like a team than rivals. 

Whether we are figuring out line rushes, or changes to the power play at practice, to taking attendance, we all work with each other. When we are on the road, we usually grab lunch or dinner, as well.

For someone newer to the scene, I've relied heavily on every one of the other beat reporters, seeing how they ask questions, how they report on certain aspects of the team, and they have all played a part in my growth, no question about it. 

I will forever be grateful for their help. 

The other thing I've learned is that my words hold value. 

As someone who started writing without a credential, there were no consequences for getting on a player in my work. However, when you write something negative about a player, I now have to see them the next day. 

I have no idea if that player or their family read my story, but we are in a business where relationships are so critical. That's not to say that I stop writing negative stories because I won't, but I have to understand that it might lead to a player not giving me the time of day when I want to ask them a question down the road. 

Does working for a team that operates in extreme secrecy make you and your colleague's jobs more challenging? 

I'm not going to lie, the secrecy is tough, but my mindset is that I get to cover a hockey team for a living, so it is what it is.

Regarding summer coverage, it's tough to write about the next steps for the franchise and who they should go after when we don't know, officially, who will be in charge from the general manager to the head coach, and that impacts everything.

Because Lou Lamoriello doesn't divulge anything regarding contract talks, it's tough to gauge that kind of stuff as well, which heavily affects this off-season. 

What's the best way to pursue opportunities?

Everyone's path is different, but for me, it was about being relentless. When I discovered that sport journalism is what I wanted to do, I reached out to every outlet I could as well as set up phone calls with established journalists to pick their brains about their journey. 

It's also incredibly important to get your work out there. We live in a world where you can make a free blog or set up your phone and record yourself giving your take on major news and, with a push of a button, can have your content out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms. That stuff serves, essentially, as a digital portfolio of your work. 

First memory of falling in love with this sport. Moment you knew this was your passion before writing career.

Although I grew up watching the Islanders, things changed for me after I started playing hockey. I started as a goalie, and once I started learning the position, watching goaltenders during NHL games became an obsession. Watching goaltenders like Martin Brodeur, Ryan Miller, and Jonathan Quick work, amongst others, was mesmerizing, from warmups to stretches to movements during games. 

I thought it was beautiful. 

But the atmosphere of Nassau Coliseum sold me, early. I can't remember who the Islanders played in my first-ever game at The Barn, but it was Mike Peca Ministix Night, sticks that I still have at my house. 

The volume. The chants. The connection. 

That's what got me hooked. I'd get an adrenaline rush just walking through the doors, especially when walking up the stairs to the seats as if I was the one lacing up the skates. 

How was it building rapport with the players, as some are very hesitant to talk to the media?

I think this is the coolest part of the job. I'm not going to lie, it did take me a bit to get comfortable talking to the players, learning how to ask questions while on camera. 

But as the season went on, I became much more comfortable, and relationships started forming.

When a player calls you by your name, either in small talk or before you ask a question, you realize that you did build a relationship.

Now some players don't like talking, and you have to pick and choose not just what you ask, but how you ask. But, no player in the room ever gave me a hard time about a question or refused to talk with me.