Larry Brooks passes away at 75 years old
Photo courtesy of NYRangers/X
In tragic news, Lawrence (Larry) Mel Brooks has passed away at 75 years old after battling cancer. Brooks reported on the New York Rangers (NYR) hockey for almost 40 years, according to the National Hockey League (NHL) website.
Brooks first began writing for the New York Post in 1975 and covered the New York Islanders in 1976 as his first out-of-office writing assignment, as stated by the NHL. He wrote for the NYR for the first time during the 1978-1979 NHL season. Brooks was dedicated to curating must-read articles, covering the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders. Quoted by the New York Post, he would often say, “The Post has to be not just a first-read, but the must-read…We all do what we can to make it so. And this is my small part of that.”
Larry Brooks achieved many milestones throughout his career, including the Elmer Ferguson Award. The Professional Hockey Writers Association defines the famed Elmer Ferguson Award as the “recognition of distinguished members of the hockey writing profession whose words have brought honor to both journalism and the sport.” Brooks was the recipient of this prestigious award in 2018. In his acceptance speech, he said, “...I’m not a member of the media, I’m a member of the press. I think in this era, the importance of the press, the importance of the press knowing how to ask hard questions, being persistent in getting answers, has never been more important.”
Brooks was a figure larger than life in the hockey media world. Many fans grew up reading his post-game articles and professional insight into the games. His legendary career will be fondly remembered by the Post. Chris Shaw, Executive Sports Editor for the New York Post, said, “For the last three decades, no one covered a sports beat in this city better than Larry did on the Rangers…Well before the Hockey Hall of Fame enshrined him, Larry had already earned a place among the legends who have graced the pages of The Best Sports in Town.” He was never afraid to ask the hard questions, even if it meant he would be disliked.
When thinking of Brooks, it is hard not to also think about John Tortorella. Tortorella was a prominent former head coach for the Rangers during the time of legendary goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Brooks and Tortorella never seemed to get along or agree on anything related to the team, which often led to them being seen having very animated conversations after games. Tortorella spoke on his passing by saying, “We had our disagreements along the way, but the thing I always respected about Larry is no matter what the day brought — we had a lot of disagreements, but we’d disagree and we’d go at it, but he’d be there the next day. Ready to ask another question, he’d be there face-to-face…I had so much respect for how hard he worked at his job.”
Brooks was also passionate about the Rangers, and many in the business think fondly of his constant presence and support. He was never afraid to get on someone's bad side in order to continue producing authentic articles reporting on the NHL. Brooks had true journalistic integrity when writing, and he will be greatly missed.
The Rangers fondly remembered Brooks in the following statement: "The entire Rangers organization mourns the loss of Larry Brooks, a titan in hockey journalism for nearly five decades…Larry's impactful work was rightfully recognized by the Hall of Fame when he received the Elmer Ferguson Award in 2018. Our thoughts are with Larry's family and friends during this difficult time."