Martin Brodeur takes off the pads after 22 NHL seasons
The National Hockey League’s all-time goaltending leader in wins and shutouts officially takes his leave after 22 years in the league.
On Jan. 27, goaltending great, and all-around fan-favourite, Martin Brodeur, announced his retirement at a news conference in St. Louis – the city in which he ended his sterling career after spending over two decades with the New Jersey Devils. Following seven rather unspectacular games with the St. Louis Blues, including a 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 18, and after seeing his playing time dwindle in recent weeks with the return of regular Blues goaltenders Brian Elliott and Jake Allen, Brodeur, 42, informed the Blues organization that his playing career was over.
“I’m leaving the game with a big smile on my face,” said Brodeur, who, after retiring announced, that he would be accepting a job as an advisor to St. Louis General Manager Doug Armstrong for the remainder of the 2014-2015 season.
And smile he should. Arguably the greatest goaltender of all-time, Brodeur retires with a plethora of NHL and New Jersey Devils franchise records to his name, including all-time regular season wins (691), shutouts (125), playoff shutouts (24), and games played for a goaltender (1,266). He is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner, a five-time Jennings Trophy winner, a 10-time NHL All-Star, a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, and one of only two NHL goaltenders to score a goal in both the regular season and the playoffs – something many NHL forwards have been unable to accomplish.
The only goalie in NHL history to post eight 40-win seasons, Brodeur was a model of consistency and longevity throughout his playing career, starting 70-plus games in 12 different seasons, including an NHL-record 77 starts twice, including the year he turned 37 years old in 2009-2010.
A native of Montreal, Quebec, Brodeur was a remarkable netminder for his country as well, representing Canada internationally at four different Winter Olympic games, winning gold twice, with the most famous being his awe-inspiring performance at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Between the pipes, Brodeur stopped 31 of 33 shots against the United States to lead Canada to their first Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medal in 50 years.
After playing for the Devils for over 21 years, a team with which he won three Stanley Cup championships, five Eastern Conference titles, and led to the playoffs an astounding 17 times, Brodeur became almost as synonymous with the Garden State as Bruce Springsteen or Snooki, endearing himself to the New Jersey fans with his agile prowess on the ice and numerous charitable endeavors off it.
Sometimes seen as a human highlight reel, Brodeur made numerous breathtaking saves over his illustrious career, including his now trademark “scorpion” save on Marian Gaborik, in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.
Seen as one of the best puck handling goaltenders of all-time, Brodeur even had an official rule created after him in 2005, which prevented goaltenders from playing the puck behind the goal line except within a trapezoidal area located behind the net.
While many may be disappointed in the manner in which Brodeur’s career ended, they should be happy knowing he went out on his own terms and with his trademark cheeky grin on his face. And don’t fret for too long Devils fans, as many believe a return to New Jersey, the city in which Brodeur starred in for some many seasons, is imminent.