Tortorella Honors Longtime Rival Larry Brooks After His Passing

In the wake of the passing of acclaimed hockey journalist Larry Brooks, former New York Rangers coach John Tortorella has offered a heartfelt tribute to his longtime rival. Tortorella and Brooks had a well-documented history of intense clashes during Tortorella's tenure as Rangers head coach from 2008 to 2013. However, the two later reconciled, with Tortorella calling Brooks a "colleague" he had the utmost respect for.

Tortorella acknowledged their past disagreements, saying "no matter what the day brought, him and I disagreed, and we had a lot of disagreements." But he praised Brooks' professionalism, noting that "he'd be there the next day, ready to ask another question. He'd be there face-to-face." Tortorella also revealed that he had been in contact with Brooks' family in recent weeks after learning of his declining health, offering his condolences.

Despite the heated moments captured on camera, Tortorella insisted that the public perception of their rivalry did not reflect the true nature of their relationship. "That's what we have to remember here -- not the crap that you see and gets sensationalized. It's the man. He deserves that respect," Tortorella said.