Adam Proteau pays tribute to late Hall of Fame writer Larry Brooks, then focuses on the newest Toronto Maple Leaf, as well as the success of a rule designed to ensure more games are settled in overtime before the shootout.
Welcome back to Screen Shots, an ongoing THN.com series in which we tackle three hockey topics at once.
With that out of the way, let’s get right down to business.
The death of longtime hockey writer Larry Brooks last week hit this writer hard.
When we were first starting out in this business, the example Brooks set helped us put our best foot forward as an opinion columnist. In our early days as an editor for The Hockey News, it was always a pleasure working with Brooks as the New York Rangers’ correspondent. And Brooks’ fearlessness in saying what he wanted to say was an example we always try to follow.
Brooks was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 exactly because of that fearlessness. In one of hockey’s biggest markets, Brooks’ point of view made an impact in a way that few others have. We’re not going to tell you we were friends with Brooks, but we were friendly in our occasional conversations over the years. And his fierce advocacy, no matter what hockey topic he was writing about, set him apart from the rest. Brooks always told a story you wanted to read, and no one was better at using the language to engage with readers.
The hockey world is poorer for Brooks’ passing, but his legacy as a true difference-maker with his words is set in stone. Rest in peace to a hockey journalism icon.
The Hockey World Lost A Titan With The Death Of Larry Brooks
Larry Brooks, who died at the age of 75, was a legend and a Hall of Famer in hockey. And he always was in the middle of the story.
The Toronto Maple Leafs – which are desperate to end their five-game winless streak – took a flier on journeyman defenseman Troy Stecher this past weekend.
Stecher – who has bounced around the league, playing on five different NHL teams since 2021-22 before getting claimed on waivers by the Leafs – is only 31 years old. But he’s become a stready, third-pair, depth D-man, and he’s coming to Toronto trying to salvage his career in hockey’s top league.
In six games with the Edmonton Oilers this season, Stecher averaged 13:37 of ice time and recorded two hits and three blocked shots but no points. Last season, he had 66 blocked shots and seven points in 66 games.
Nevertheless, the Leafs are going to use Stecher sparingly, ostensibly giving him the ice time veteran Philippe Myers has been getting. Myers has struggled in limited minutes this season, and the reality is, when injured Leafs veteran blueliners Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo are fully healthy and back in the lineup, Stecher and Myers will be healthy scratches.
Stecher’s addition feels a lot like Toronto’s addition and subtraction of goaltender Cayden Primeau, who was clearly a stop-gap solution to the Leafs’ injury problem. When that goalie problem was solved with the return of netminder Joseph Woll, Primeau was quickly waived and claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes.
We can see the same scenario playing out with Stecher. He could be in Leafs Land for a short time, and it's up to him to make the most of this opportunity.
Finally, the Europe-based Champions Hockey League’s implementation this season of a "No Return" rule in overtime, which prohibits teams controlling the puck from retreating into the neutral zone, has been a smashing success.
In the Champions League’s subjective perspective, the rule led to more “back-and-forth” action. And statistically speaking, there’s evidence the “No Return” rule is paying positive dividends.
Compared to previous seasons, the the league said alternating puck possession increased by 23 percent, alternating attacking zone possession increased by 17 percent, and alternating shot attempts by 53 percent.
Most importantly, the introduction of the “No Return” rule resulted in a 12 percent increase in games decided during overtime instead of shootouts when compared to the combined average of the two preceding regular seasons.
That last part should be especially intriguing for the NHL. We all want more games decided in overtime rather than shootouts, so this development overseas should encourage the NHL to adopt a “No Return” rule of its own.
The game can always be improved. And the Champions Hockey League’s experiment in cutting down on shootouts is a move the NHL would be wise to follow.
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