Herbert Paul Brooks Jr. (August 5, 1937 – August 11, 2003) was an American
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
player and
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
. His most notable achievement came in
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – In ...
as head coach of the gold medal-winning
U.S. Olympic team at
Lake Placid. At the Games, Brooks'
American team upset the heavily favored
Soviet team in a match that came to be known as the "
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was played between the hosting United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's hockey tournam ...
."
Brooks also coached multiple
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) teams, as well as the
French team at the
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in th ...
. He ultimately returned to coach the U.S. men's team to a silver medal at the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internationa ...
in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
. Brooks died in a car accident in 2003. At the time of his death, he was the director of player personnel for the NHL's
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
. He was posthumously inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
as a builder in 2006.
Early years
Brooks was born in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
, to Pauline and Herbert Brooks Sr. He attended
Johnson High School, where his team won the
1955 state ice hockey championship.
Brooks continued his ice hockey career with the
University of Minnesota Gophers from 1955 to 1959. He was a member of the
1960 Olympic team, only to become the last cut the week before the Games started. Three weeks later, Brooks sat at home with his father and watched the team he almost made win gold in
Squaw Valley. Afterwards, Brooks went up to the coach,
Jack Riley, and said, "Well, you must have made the right decision—you won". This humbling moment served as further motivation for Brooks, an already self-driven person.
From 1960 to 1970, Brooks set a record by playing for the U.S. national team eight times, including the
1964 and
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* J ...
Olympic teams. While playing for the
Rochester Mustangs
The Rochester Mustangs were a senior ice hockey team from Rochester, Minnesota that played in the United States Hockey League from 1961 until the senior Mustangs ceased operations after the 1969-70 season.
Notable players
*Herb Brooks, NHL head c ...
in the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is stric ...
in the 1961–62 season, he formed part of the highest-scoring
forward line in USHL history at the time, along with
Bill Reichart and
Ken Johannson.
Careers
Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Brooks became a coach, notably leading his alma mater, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, to three
NCAA championship titles in 1974, 1976, and 1979. Brooks finished his collegiate coaching with a record of 175 wins, 101 losses, and 20 ties.
Soon after Minnesota won its third college championship, he was hired to coach the
1980 Olympic team. Hand-picking his team, he named several of his Minnesota players to the team, as well as several from their rivals,
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...
and the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
. To compete with the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
team specifically, Brooks developed a hybrid of the rugged, physical North American style and the faster European style, which emphasized creativity and teamwork. He also stressed peak conditioning, believing that one of the reasons the Soviet team had dominated international competition was that many of their opponents were exhausted by the third period.
After his team's Olympic gold medal win, Brooks moved to Switzerland to coach
HC Davos in the
National League A
The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland and is the top tier of the Swiss league system. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was known as National League A. During the 2018–19 season, the league ...
. However he resigned from this position in January 1981, only six months after being hired, with the team having a poor record and Brooks facing criticism for what were described as "rough practices". From 1981 to 1985, he coached in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
for the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
, where he became the first American-born coach in Rangers' team history to win 100 games. After a brief stop at then-NCAA Division III
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Its enrollment in 2020 was approximatel ...
, he returned to the NHL to coach the
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
(from 1987 to 1988),
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...
(1992–93), and
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
(1999–2000). He was a long-time scout for the Penguins from the mid-1990s, and held the role of Director of Player Personnel from 2002 to the day of his death. His hiring by the North Stars in 1987 was the last time a college coach was selected to coach an NHL team until
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...
coach
Dave Hakstol
David Hakstol (born July 30, 1968) is a Canadian ice hockey coach, currently serving as the head coach of the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). A native of Warburg, Alberta, Hakstol was the head coach for Sioux City Musketeers ...
was tapped to coach the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
in May 2015.
Brooks also coached two more Olympic hockey teams: Team France at the
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in th ...
in Nagano, and the U.S. hockey team again at the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internationa ...
in Salt Lake City. The 2002 team defeated the Russians in the semi-finals en route to a silver, losing in the gold medal game to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. The U.S. win over Russia came exactly 22 years to the day after the famous 'Miracle on Ice' game.
Brooks was inducted into the
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the history of ice hockey in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and ...
in 1990,
and the
International Hockey Hall of Fame
The Original Hockey Hall of Fame, formerly the International Hockey Hall of Fame (IHHOF) is a museum dedicated to the history of ice hockey in Canada, located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The IHHOF was intended to be the original Hall of Fame fo ...
in 1999. He was honored posthumously with the
Wayne Gretzky International Award
The Wayne Gretzky International Award is a lifetime achievement award given by the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. It was established in 1999, to honor international individuals who have made major contributions to the growth and advancement o ...
in 2004, and inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
.
On January 13, 2000, Brooks confronted
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
announcer
John Kelly John or Jack Kelly may refer to:
People Academics and scientists
*John Kelly (engineer), Irish professor, former Registrar of University College Dublin
*John Kelly (scholar) (1750–1809), at Douglas, Isle of Man
* John Forrest Kelly (1859–1922) ...
for suggesting that
Matthew Barnaby
Matthew may refer to:
* Matthew (given name)
* Matthew (surname)
* ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497
* ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith
* Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chi ...
faked an injury after being hit by
Alexei Gusarov
Alexei Vasilievich Gusarov (russian: Алексей Васильевич Гусаров) (born July 8, 1964) is a Russian former ice hockey defenceman. He played for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues.
...
with 27 seconds left. He was suspended two games for that confrontation on January 18,
having been suspended indefinitely since January 15.
The night before Brooks got suspended, Gusarov was suspended two games for the hit.
Broadcasting career
After he was fired by the
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
, Brooks then spent two years doing TV color commentary for
SportsChannel America
SportsChannel is the collective name for a former group of regional sports networks in the United States that was owned by Cablevision, which from 1988 until the group's demise, operated it as a joint venture with NBC.
Operating from March 1, ...
along with play-by-play announcer
Jiggs McDonald
John Kenneth "Jiggs" McDonald (born November 28, 1938) is a sportscaster who has done play-by-play announcing for NHL games for more than 50 years. In 1990, McDonald received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Biograph ...
.
Personal life
Brooks was married to his wife Patti since 1965 and they had two children
Danand Kelly.
Death and legacy
![Do you believe in miracles - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Do_you_believe_in_miracles_-_panoramio.jpg)
On the afternoon of August 11, 2003, six days after his 66th birthday, Brooks died in a single-car accident on
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican borde ...
near
Forest Lake, Minnesota
Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States, located 27 miles northeast of Saint Paul. The population was 20,611 at the 2020 census. The 2021 population is 20,608.
History
Forest Lake began as a stop on the St. Paul ...
. It is believed that he fell asleep behind the wheel before the accident, and neither drugs nor alcohol were responsible. Brooks was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash, and according to the
Minnesota State Patrol
The Minnesota State Patrol is the primary state patrol agency for Minnesota and serves as the de facto state police for the state. While Minnesota State Patrol troopers have full powers of arrest throughout the state, their primary function is traf ...
, it is likely he would have survived the crash if he had been.
George Nagobads
Visvaldis George Nagobads (born November 18, 1921) is an American physician. He was born in Latvia, earned a medical degree from the University of Tübingen in Germany, then emigrated to the United States in 1951. He served 34 years as the team ...
was the team physician when Brooks coached the US men's national team and Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey, and described Brooks by saying, "I really appreciated the way Herbie always treated the players, and for me, he was just like my son".
In 2004,
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
released a film about the 1980 Olympic team called ''
Miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...
'' featuring
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (1963–1964). In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with The ...
playing the part of Brooks. (
Karl Malden
Karl Malden (born Mladen George Sekulovich; March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) was an American actor. He was primarily a character actor, who according to Robert Berkvist, "for more than 60 years brought an intelligent intensity and a homespun aut ...
had previously played Brooks in a 1981
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
called ''
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was played between the hosting United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's hockey tournam ...
''.) Brooks served as a consultant for the Disney film during
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as ...
, which was completed shortly before his death. At the end of the movie there is a dedication to Brooks. It states, ''"He never saw it. He lived it."''
On the 25th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, the Olympic ice arena in
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303.
The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsburgh ...
, where the United States won the gold medal, was renamed
Herb Brooks Arena
The Herb Brooks Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Lake Placid, New York. This surface, along with the USA Rink, was built for the 1980 Winter Olympics.
About
The arena hosted various events during the 1980 Winter Olympics, most famously the ice ...
. A statue of Brooks depicting his reaction to the victory in the 'Miracle' game was erected at the entrance to the
RiverCentre in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
, in 2003.
The Herb Brooks Award is awarded at the conclusion of the
Minnesota State High School League's state hockey tournament to "the most qualified hockey player in the state tournament who strongly represents the values, characteristics, and traits that defined Herb Brooks."
The Herb Brooks Training Center is located at
Blaine, Minnesota
Blaine is a suburban city in Anoka and Ramsey counties in the State of Minnesota, United States. Once a rural town, Blaine's population has increased significantly in the last 60 years. For several years, Blaine led the Twin Cities metro region ...
.
The
National Hockey Center at
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Its enrollment in 2020 was approximatel ...
in Minnesota was renamed for Brooks in April 2013.
![Herb Brooks National Hockey Center 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Herb_Brooks_National_Hockey_Center_2013.jpg)
In 2006, Brooks was posthumously inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
in the Builders' category. The inscription reads: "A man of passion and dedication, Herb Brooks inspired a generation of Americans to pursue any and all dreams."
Brooksisms
Brooks's original expressions were known by his players as "Brooksisms", some of which were included in ''
Miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...
''. According to Olympians John Harrington,
Dave Silk
David Mark Silk (born January 1, 1958) is an American former professional ice hockey player. His professional career, which spanned 13 years, included 249 NHL regular season games with the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings ...
, and
Mike Eruzione
Michael Anthony "Rizz, Rizzo" Eruzione (, , born October 25, 1954) is an American former ice hockey player. He is best known as the captain of the 1980 Winter Olympics United States national team that defeated the Soviet Union in the famous "Mir ...
, these are a few.
*"You're playing worse and worse every day and right now you're playing like it's next month."
*"You can't be common, the common man goes nowhere. You have to be uncommon."
*"Boys, I'm asking you to go to the well again."
*"You look like you have a five pound fart on your head."
*"You guys are getting bent over and they're not using Vaseline."
*"You look like a monkey tryin' to hump a football!"
*"You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back. I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country."
*"Great moments are born from great opportunity."
*"You know, Willy Wonka said it best: we are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams."
*"This team isn't talented enough to win on talent alone."
*"If you lose this game you'll take it to your grave ... your fucking grave."
*"You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours."
[Coffey, p. 45]
*"Write your own book instead of reading someone else's book about success."
*"Boys, in the front of the net it's a bloody nose alley."
*"Don't dump the puck in. That went out with short pants."
*"Throw the puck back and weave, weave, weave. But don't just weave for the sake of weaving."
*"Let's be idealistic but let's also be practical."
*"You guys don't want to work during the game?"
*"The legs feed the wolf."
*"We walked up to the tiger, looked him straight in his eye and spat in it."
*"Tonight."
*"Again."
Head coaching record
College
†
Minnesota played jointly in the Big Ten and WCHA from 1959 to 1981
NHL
''Note: G = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points''
Other leagues
''Note: GC = Games coached, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime loss, Pts = Points, Pct = Winning percentage''
See also
*
List of members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Eveleth, Minnesota. It was established on June 21, 1973, with the purpose of honoring the sport of ice hockey in the United States by preserving American legends of the game. On May 11, 2007, US ...
*
Inspirational/motivational instructors/mentors portrayed in films
*''
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was played between the hosting United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's hockey tournam ...
''
*''
Miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...
''
References
External links
*
The Herb Brooks Foundation*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Herb
1937 births
1980 US Olympic ice hockey team
2003 deaths
American ice hockey coaches
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey coaches from Minnesota
Ice hockey players at the 1964 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players at the 1968 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players from Saint Paul, Minnesota
IIHF Hall of Fame inductees
Lester Patrick Trophy recipients
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey coaches
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey players
Minnesota North Stars coaches
National Hockey League broadcasters
New Jersey Devils coaches
New York Rangers coaches
Pittsburgh Penguins coaches
Pittsburgh Penguins executives
Pittsburgh Penguins scouts
Road incident deaths in Minnesota
Rochester Mustangs players
Sportspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota
St. Cloud State Huskies men's ice hockey coaches
United States men's national ice hockey team coaches
United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductees