The sudden death of Herb Brooks leaves those of us in St. Cloud sadder than most. Brooks was always promoting Minnesota hockey, and gave SCSU not only its Division I hockey program but a state-of-the-art arena.

"He was the foundation on which the Division I program was built," St. Cloud State athletic director Morris Kurtz said. "He gave us instant credibility statewide and nationwide to talk to recruits and to sell the Legislature on funding for a new arena. He could walk the halls of the Legislature and, with Herb, there was not any door that wouldn't open."

St. Cloud State became the state's third Division I hockey program; now there are five.

Brooks, a successful coach already at the University of Minnesota, coached here in 1986 and 1987. He then turned the program over to Craig Dahl, who is now entering his 16th season.

There are about ten weekends in the dead of winter that are great fun at the National Hockey Center, and it's Brooks we have to thank.