N.Y. Rangers Fire Herb Brooks

NEW YORK — Herb Brooks, who never achieved the success in the National Hockey League that he did as coach of the magical gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team of 1980, today was fired by the struggling New York Rangers and replaced by Craig Patrick, the club’s vice president and general manager. Brooks was 131-113-41 with New York, but the Rangers are 15-22-8 this year and have battled to remain out of the Patrick Division basement.