An emotional John Tortorella pays tribute to Rangers reporter Larry Brooks

Long-time New York Post reporter Larry Brooks has passed away at age 75 following a brief battle with cancer.

Brooks had covered the New York Rangers for The Post for over 30 years and was a singular force in the hockey media world. He leaves behind a son, Jordan, daughter-in-law, Joanna, and two grandchildren: 14-year-old Scott and 12-year old Reese. His wife, Janis, died in 2020.

“For the last three decades, no one covered a sports beat in this city better than Larry did on the Rangers,” Post Executive Sports Editor Chris Shaw said. “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.”

Brooks was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a media member back in 2018.

“I like to think that I was a guy who could change the momentum of a game when I came on the ice,” said Sean Avery, the immensely popular left wing who played parts of six seasons for the Rangers. “Brooksie could do that with the swipe of his pen. The guys that really understood playing for the Rangers all had a good relationship with Brooksie because he loves hockey players.”

Said James Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of MSG Sports:

“Besides the stellar job that Larry did covering the New York Rangers, what few people know is that he and I would meet on occasion and he would give me his unabashed opinion on how the franchise was doing and what we needed to do to win. This never appeared in any of his columns, but I found his advice to be invaluable and will miss it dearly.”

To most hockey fans outside of New York, Brooks will forever be remembered for his tumultuous relationship with former Rangers head coach John Tortorella. The two often verbally sparred in post-game media, culminating in a viral moment.

Today, Tortorella paid tribute to Brooks, a man that he actually had a tremendous amount of respect, paid tribute to Brooks today for ESPN.

Whether or not you agreed with Brooks and his opinions were kind of beside the point. He was a dynamic force in the hockey media world and his presence will be missed for years to come.

RIP Brooksie.