Tom Larson, longtime Bruins and Red Sox TV host, dead at 84

Tom Larson, a longtime sports studio host in Boston who famously made a pledge not to shave his beard until the Bruins won a Stanley Cup, has died.

He was 84 years old.

Larson died Wednesday in Fredericksburg, Va. from complications of cancer, his son, Jeff, told the Boston Globe.

Born Lanny Lee Larson, the sportscaster adopted the name Tom Larson after moving to Boston in 1969 following stints in Bloomington and Peoria, Ill. and Lansing, Mich.

Larson became host of the Bruins’ pregame and postgame studio programming on Channel 38 in Boston during the 1969-70 season.

While the Bruins won championships in 1970 and 1972, it wouldn’t be until 2011 — several years after Larson’s retirement — that they’d win it again.

This made Larson’s famous pledge not to shave his beard until they won it all last a lot longer than he could have anticipated.

“During the mid-70’s I’d grown a beard, and there was a lot of negative reaction to it,” Larson said in 2011.

Tom Larson, a former Bruins and Red Sox broadcaster, died Wednesday at 84. TV38/Youtube

“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!”

He acknowledged that he didn’t fully realize what he was getting into.

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

“I had no idea it was going to be 30 years,” he admitted.

When he finally prepared to shave the beard, he said he’d grown “accustomed” to it and laughed that he was probably going to let it grow back.

Tom Larson is pictured in 2011.Fields of Vision/YouTube

Tom Larson between periods on #TV38 Boston Bruins games was on point pic.twitter.com/h11nHiCXGk

— Adrian Dater (@adater) December 23, 2021

Larson, who also worked as sports director at WHDH radio from 1981-88, eventually joined NESN early in the regional sports network’s existence in 1985, where he hosted Red Sox and Bruins and contributed as a host and writer for the magazine-style “Front Row” program.