Tom Larson passed away at the age of 84 as confirmed by his family, Fox News reported Saturday.
The renowned sports broadcaster faced health challenges after being diagnosed with cancer, according to Fox News. His career spanned nearly four decades and he left behind a legacy marked by his devotion to Boston sports. Known for his association with the Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox, Larson’s journey in sports broadcasting began in Illinois and Lansing, Michigan, before he made a move to Boston in the late 1960s.
His tenure with the Bruins’ television crew started in the 1969-70 season, a period marked by the team’s success with championships in 1970 and 1972. One of the most notable aspects of Larson’s career was his unique pledge concerning the Boston Bruins. In the mid-70s, he vowed not to shave his beard until the Bruins clinched another Stanley Cup.
RiP, legendary Bruins TV studio host Tom Larson.
In 1981, he vowed not to shave off his beard until the Bruins won the Cup…,it only took 30 years. pic.twitter.com/Ob8sNnXCCm
— Boston Radio Watch®️ (@bostonradio) November 25, 2023
“During the mid-70s, I’d grown a beard, and there was a lot of negative reaction to it,” Larson said in 2011, per Fox News. “They were calling me ‘Pinko’, ‘Commie’ and [saying] how they couldn’t enjoy watching the hockey game because Larson had a beard and all of this. But it struck me that if I said I wouldn’t shave it until the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, the reaction would be different. It would be, ‘Yeah Larson, alright!’ Now it’s connected with Bruins success!” (RELATED: Hall Of Fame Quarterback, Broadcaster Len Dawson Dies At Age 87)
Despite his expectations, Larson’s beard became a fixture for decades, as the Bruins experienced a lengthy championship drought. It wasn’t until after his retirement, following the Bruins’ victory over the Vancouver Canucks in 2011, that the 39-year wait—and Larson’s beard—came to an end, Fox News reported.
Larson’s career goes beyond the screen. In the 1980s, he served as the sports director at WHDH radio. He later joined the New England Sports Network (NESN) shortly after its inception, where he continued to shape the world of sports broadcasting as a host for the Red Sox and as a contributing writer, per Fox News.