Tributes pour in for Helene Elliott, first woman in major NA sport Hall of Fame, after her Los Angeles Times buyout

One of the most prominent figures in NHL journalism is moving on. Helene Elliott, the first woman to be inducted into a major North American sport’s Hall of Fame with her 2005 selection to the Hockey Hall of Fame with the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, is leaving The Los Angeles Times after 34 years. She announced that on Twitter/X Friday:

Here are some of the many tributes that poured in for Elliott, whose 2005 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award nod is just part of what she’s accomplished over the years:

Helene had a career that won’t likely be duplicated in several directions. Covered a lot of hockey and international sports with her and feel privileged to have been in the same press box. With every “I have personal news” item, out business gets poorer. https://t.co/0OvqHNCpnM

— Terry Jones (@byterryjones) February 16, 2024

Helene is one of my idols in this industry. One of the most important in sports journalism ever https://t.co/Bv2vulY8ph

— marisa ingemi ✨ (@Marisa_Ingemi) February 16, 2024

One hell of a career, Helene. Big admirer of your work — and legendary work ethic. The number of your "my office today" photos from arenas and stadiums, meaning crushing deadlines day after day, would have been nervous breakdown material for me. Congrats on a great run, #HHOFer. https://t.co/aRrYjemdSt

— Cam Cole (@rcamcole) February 16, 2024

Among the very best. A wonderful writer and colleague. Salute. https://t.co/bLsajEB2nY

— George Johnson (@GeoJohnson57) February 16, 2024

A true pioneer in hockey coverage. Congrats on a great run. https://t.co/Qe4ku7ez8Q

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) February 16, 2024

Congratulations to an absolute legend, pioneer and a hall of famer in every sense of the word. Southern California was blessed to have Helene coving the Kings and Ducks during their Stanley Cup runs. This is sadly another blow to the nonexistent hockey coverage in the region. https://t.co/4ZBpEZHKS9

— The Sporting Tribune (@SportingTrib) February 16, 2024

Congrats on an iconic career and being a pioneer for so many of us https://t.co/NMEtu4VAES

— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) February 16, 2024

Elliott’s exit obviously factors into the wider context of recent layoffs at The Los Angeles Times, which have had major impacts on the paper’s sports coverage. Her decision to take a buyout offer is not equivalent to forced layoffs. But it does fit in with the moves the paper is trying to make, many of which seem to involve reduced investment in covering sports.

It will be interesting to see what is next for Elliott. She has long been one of the most notable figures covering hockey, especially from a U.S. perspective. And there are many outlets that would seemingly be lucky to have her. We’ll see if she does wind up doing further NHL coverage.

[Helene Elliott on Twitter/X; image from The Los Angeles Times]