By the age of 36, most hockey players are either looking towards retirement or perhaps already playing for the local senior league. Goalie Ross Brooks, on the other hand, did not make his NHL debut until the age of 36 years-8 days, becoming the 4th oldest debuting rookie goalie in NHL history when he manned the nets for the Bruins vs Buffalo on Oct 25, 1973.
Ross was born in Toronto in 1937. His starred for three years with the Barrie Fliers in the Ontario Juniors before joining the Washington Presidents in the EHL in the 1958, a team owned by his future Reds boss, Lou Pieri. He hopped around for the next six seasons with seven different teams before being signed by the Reds at the start of the 1965 campaign.
Brooksie would play seven seasons in Providence, primarily as a backup for goaltending legends Ed Giacomin and Marcel Paille, while settling and starting his family here in RI. His big break came in 1971 when Milt Schmidt signed him with the Boston Bruins. He and teammate Dan Bouchard would immediately capture the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for lowest GAA with the Boston Braves, the Bruins’ AHL affiliate.
The following season, Boston lost several goaltenders via WHA expansion and trades. The door was opened and Brooksie confidently ran right through, matching an NHL record set in 1920 when he won 14 consecutive games in goal for the Bruins.
Ross remained in Boston through 1975 before playing a strong single season with the AHL’s powerhouse Rochester Americans, the Bruins’ farm team. He retired after 16 years and a career-winning percentage among the highest recorded for goalies with 50 or more decisions.
Soon after his playing days, Ross was hired in the 1976-77 season as Head Coach & General Manager of the Reds, their last in the team’s 51-yr history.
Ross would remain a prominent figure on the RI hockey scene conducting hockey clinics at local rinks, coaching the goaltenders at Providence College, and taking the helm at Lincoln High School, coaching his son, Chris, and elevating the Lions success in the RI Interscholastic League.
He would return again to pro hockey as director of operations with the Providence Bruins after AHL hockey returned to the capital city in 1992 after an 18-yr absence.
Brookie’s final 19 years in the game was served as rink manager of Providence College’s Schneider Arena, retiring in 2021.
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