The Maven Remembers Brooks And His Early Island Days
The hockey world is mourning the loss of Hockey Hall of Fame writer Larry Brooks who passed away at the age of 75 after a brief battle with cancer.
LAS VEGAS — On Thursday morning, we all saw the devastating news that the legendary Larry Brooks had passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues at The New York Post during this incredibly difficult time.
My interactions with Larry were few and far between, being on opposing New York beats. However, ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, I was invited out to dinner with Andrew Gross, Larry, and Mollie Walker. It was an incredible time for me, early on in my career, to hear Larry tell stories about the Islanders’ dynasty and just fun moments throughout his career.
Last season, ahead of an Islanders-Rangers game at UBS Arena, I walked in with Larry, and we were talking about our respective teams. It was one of those conversations that meant the world to me.
I looked up to Larry. The biggest lesson I learned from him was the importance of being passionate about what you do. He poured all he had into his work because he believed the fans deserved it, and that’s something I try to live by when I walk into the rink each day.
Mollie Walker, once a Stan Fischler intern, tag-teamed with Brooks covering the Rangers for the New York Post. She’ll now take the baton from Larry.
Her piece on their friendship is a must-read: Partnering with The Post’s iconic Larry Brooks created forever memories on and off the ice: ‘I wish we had more time’
Fischler, The Maven, wanted to send his condolences to the Brooks family, and in Maven fashion, he teaches younger fans a few things about Larry’s start:
By Stan Fischler:
New York Post hockey icon Larry Brooks, who passed away Wednesday night from cancer, was best known as a New York Rangers’ hockey writer.
What most contemporary readers do not know is that Brooks covered the Islanders in the pre-Cup days of the Nassaumen, not to mention the dynasty years.
It was inevitable that The Maven would get to know Larry because I was on the Isles beat -- first as a reporter in 1972 -- and from 1975 onward via television.
Likewise, it was no surprise that Brooksie fell in love with those first-decade Nassaumen.
What I specifically recall was how much he appreciated coach Al Arbour’s sextet as down-to-earth human beings as well as swell hockey players. Brooksie’s love affair with Bill Torrey’s team was as evident as Nassau Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum.
Brooks wrote as affectionately and intensively about third-stringers such as Garry Howatt as well as superstars Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies, and Denis Potvin.
Larry took a leave for a while, working for the New Jersey Devils -- especially Lou Lamoriello -- but inevitably returned to the hockey beat.
After reestablishing himself at the New York Post, he took another leave -- I never learned why -- and his absence was well felt around the Met Area hockey beat.
But when he did return, he accepted my invitation to be interviewed on the SportsChannel Islanders’ telecast.
I always felt -- only in my mind -- that this was my way of all of us welcoming Brooks back to the beat.
No, we never were good friends, but decent colleagues. I respected his view of the NHL scene, but I never got close enough to him to completely figure out how he viewed my positions on the league scene.
But we shared a deep love for the Islanders and -- in that regard -- I knew Brooksie and I shared one common theme -- deep down, we both loved the Islanders for what they were, and those values which honored the game of hockey.
Adieu, fellow hockey-lover, rest in peace.
— The Maven.
