It’s hard to put into words the impact Larry Brooks had—not just on hockey journalism but on me personally. For decades, Larry was the benchmark for Rangers coverage: incisive, fair, sometimes witty, always must-read no slight to any of the other New York beat writers, but I’m pretty sure they were reading Larry’s New York Post-column first, every single time. Before I ever stepped foot in a press box covering the Rangers, I would email him my half-baked thoughts on his colum

As training camps across the NHL gear up, one notable name catching attention is Keith Kinkaid. The Long Island native, who is currently...