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Madison Square Garden was filled with a solemn hush on Sunday night, as the New York Rangers honored the legendary Larry Brooks, a Hall of Fame hockey columnist for The Post, during their first home game since his passing on Thursday morning. Brooks, who was 75, succumbed to a brief battle with cancer, leaving behind a storied legacy in sports journalism.
The Rangers paid tribute to Brooks by displaying his images on the jumbotron and observing a moment of silence to acknowledge his immense contributions as a “titan in hockey journalism.” A seat in the press box was left vacant in his honor, adorned with flowers and a framed photograph capturing his moment of recognition at the 2018 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Larry Brooks’ connection to the Rangers was deeply rooted in his childhood on the Upper West Side, where he grew up as a fervent second-generation fan. Admiring Rod Gilbert, Brooks fell in love with hockey from the blue seats of the old Madison Square Garden, located between 49th and 50th Streets. He began his two tenures at The Post in 1975, bringing an unmatched passion and insight to his coverage of key moments in Rangers history, often leaving a more significant mark than some of the players themselves.

Referring to Madison Square Garden as his “temple,” Brooks’ son, Jordan, shared this sentiment during a packed funeral service in Westchester on Sunday morning. The event drew family, friends, colleagues, competitors, and hockey icons like Henrik Lundqvist, Adam Graves, Chris Drury, and Lou Lamoriello. Attendees celebrated Brooks’ illustrious career with a mix of laughter, tears, and countless stories, honoring the most esteemed hockey writer in the field.
The Garden was his “temple,” his son, Jordan, said Sunday morning at a standing-room only funeral in Westchester. Family, friends, colleagues, competitors and hockey legends — including Henrik Lundqvist, Adam Graves, Chris Drury and Lou Lamoriello — paid their respects to the most respected hockey writer in the business at a service filled with laughter, tears and never-ending anecdotes.

If the universe is just, he watched it all from what his son described as his final resting place:
“The great press box in the sky.”