It's a Good Day for a Good Day
ECHL Greensboro Gargoyles

It's a Good Day for a Good Day

Published on January 14, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Greensboro Gargoyles News Release


Building a franchise from the ground up is a challenge, but the Gargoyles Inaugural Season is no comparison to the battle Greensboro Head Coach Scott Burt has been fighting outside the rink. After 12 months of chemotherapy treatment on a brain tumor, Burt announced this week that his cancer has reached a state of partial remission.

On December 6, 2024, four days after finding out the life-altering news that he had brain cancer, Burt was rushed into emergency brain surgery following a series of unexpected seizures. The doctors uncovered a grapefruit-size tumor, removing as much as they could to relieve pressure inside his head.

Burt's impact on the hockey world was immediately evident. Support poured in from across the ECHL and beyond, with teams rallying to join his fight through "Burtie" and "SB12" decals, messages of encouragement, and national media coverage sharing his story. Just three days after surgery, Burt was back on his feet walking around hospital halls. By December 11, only five days post-op, he was back at the rink delivering bagels to his team.

On December 16, 2024, Burt traveled to Rochester, Minnesota, to begin treatment at the Mayo Clinic. He started radiation chemotherapy on January 2, 2025, undergoing 30 rounds. At 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 12, Burt rang the bell following his final radiation treatment.

In March 2025, Burt entered the next phase of his journey, beginning monthly oral chemotherapy treatments taken over five consecutive days each cycle. On March 1, less than four months after his surgery, Burt returned behind the bench against the Idaho Steelheads, the team he won two Kelly Cups with and where his jersey is retired. Three months later, on June 4, 2025, the Gargoyles announced Burt as the first head coach in franchise history, a role he embraced with the same strength and perspective that carried him through his fight.

Burt completed his final dose of chemotherapy on Thursday, December 18. While the tumor may never be fully removed, doctors confirmed the diagnosis is now stable. Guided by his daily mantra, "it's a good day for a good day," the news marked a powerful moment for Burt and his family, a reminder of how far they have come and the resilience that defines him.

The Gargoyles will host Cancer Awareness Night on Friday, March 13, when Greensboro welcomes the Trois-Rivières Lions to First Horizon Coliseum. The evening will honor those who continue to fight, remember the loved ones we have lost, and celebrate survivors like Burt, whose courage, positive perspective, and leadership extend far beyond the bench.

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