Nobody really likes to have to write about a hockey legend passing away. The great Larry Brooks of the New York Times recently passed away. Hockey has lost a tremendous icon and legend. For him, it was not always about the story; he also wanted to help people.
Millions of people looked first to Larry Brooks to find out what was happening. He knew how to get to the story and get to the truth.
Everybody knows there is a race when it comes to getting the story in sports. It is especially true in the hockey rumor world. Larry Brooks was one of the best at getting the story first and telling it straight. There is a saying that went along in the world that I think fits Larry Brooks to a T. The saying “to be the man, you must be the man, you must beat the man.” (Ric Flair)
Larry Brooks was definitely the man, and for reporting in New York, whatever anyone needed — anything, or any kind of news — he was simply the main source to believe.
I asked three guests today to share their remarks on the loss of the legend Larry Brooks.
Jan Levine
Jan is a correspondent on the site https://hockeyhotstove.com/
Jan just wrote his tribute to Larry Brooks. He’s a terrific, knowledgeable writer and a great Twitter follow. You can follow him on Twitter at @airjan23.
Here are his kind words:
Larry Brooks was the dean of the New York hockey media. He had contacts all over the hockey world, using them to obtain tidbits no one else had or was willing to report. His Sunday SlapShots column in the NY Post was a must-read. Brooks leaves an indelible impact on hockey in general and especially the Metro NY area.
Jonny Lazarus
My second guest, Jonny Lazarus, is a digital reporter at https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/ College Hockey, NESN, AND USHL, and a genuine good guy. Last but not least, cohost of the podcast, Morning Cuppa Hockey.
I asked if he would share a favourite story he had about Larry Brooks:
I had a really cool opportunity to spend some 1-on-1 time with Larry last season in Anaheim. We were the only two people there covering the game. I got to ask him about his time with the Devils, how he got started with the Rangers, his relationship with Tortorella, his feud with Dan Boyle, and so many other things. But what we talked about most was his Grandson, Scott. I didn’t know Larry all that well, but I can tell you from my experience, there’s nothing he took more joy in than Scott’s hockey career. I talked to him about my youth hockey experience, and he shared with me about how Scott was kind of undersized and was about to start checking as a Bantam. He brought Scott to practice one day, and I could tell he was Scott’s hero. I mean, imagine being a young hockey player getting to go to the Rangers practice and see your grandfather talking to every single player, that’s so damn cool. Every time I heard news about the Rangers, I was checking Larry’s Twitter to confirm it. He was always the first one to get to everything. Even in press conferences, I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking until Larry asked his question. He’s a guy who commanded respect. He was the only reporter that Peter Laviolette spoke to by name. For a small guy, he had such a large presence around the press box. I’m happy and honored I got to know him, even if it was just a little.
Russ Cohen
My final guest today is an old friend, a huge supporter of mine for years.
You can find Russ on Twitter @sportsology. He is a prospect writer at Sportsology.com and http://NHLdraftbuzz.com. A terrific follow on Twitter.
When I was a new writer covering the New York Rangers, Larry would occasionally ask what I saw on a particular play or goal. That was thrilling. I would see him over the years. I was in a few memorable John Tortorella scrums and would listen to his stories about his grandson’s hockey game, at my request. I would joke that someday I would scout him and write a feature article about him.
Final word
Thank you, Larry, for all that you did
Randy
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