In Memory of Larry Brooks

Larry Brooks was a presence like no other.

On Sunday night, amidst a sea of fans at Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers paid tribute to the remarkable life and career of their legendary hockey columnist. This tribute came during their first home game following Brooks’ passing at the age of 75, after a brief struggle with cancer.

As part of the ceremony, the Rangers featured a photograph of Brooks on the jumbotron, accompanied by a moment of silence honoring the “giant of hockey journalism.” They even reserved a press box for him, placing flowers and a framed image of the long-time journalist at his desk during the 2018 Hall of Fame induction.

With deep roots in the Blueshirts’ culture, Brooks grew up on the Upper West Side, a second-generation fan who idolized Rod Gilbert. His love for hockey flourished in the “Blue Seats” at the Old Garden. He began his first tenure at the Post in 1975, passionately covering a pivotal era in Rangers’ history, showcasing a unique insight that often overshadowed even the players he wrote about.

At a crowded funeral in Westchester earlier that Sunday, Brooks’ son, Jordan, referred to Madison Square Garden as his father’s “temple.” Friends, family, colleagues, and hockey icons, including Henrik Lundqvist and Bill Guerin, gathered to celebrate the life of one of hockey journalism’s most respected figures. The ceremony was filled with laughter, tears, and countless stories about this iconic journalist.

If fate has a sense of justice, I believe he’s now watching over everything from what his son described as a “large press box floating in the sky.”