Intro
When I played youth hockey growing up in Minnesota, I chose to be a goaltender over being a player. I found that at a young age, I enjoyed being a goalie more than being a player. I also found that I was a much better goalie than I was forward or defenseman, and some of my favorite hockey players growing up were goalies. One player who I tell people was my favorite goaltender growing up, was none other than Martin Brodeur. Brodeur, a four time Vezina trophy winner(Best NHL Goaltender), represents the pinnacle of goaltending performance in my eyes. His NHL and International career were absolutely legendary, and I considered him to be the Tom Brady of hockey goaltending. Even though he never played for the Minnesota Wild, his style of goaltending and legendary accolades certainly impressed me as a young Minnesota boy playing hockey.
Early Playing Career
Born in Montreal, Quebec, Brodeur grew up in a hockey family. His father, Denis, played in the 1956 Olympics for the Canadian National Team, where he was a bronze medalist. Martin would start playing hockey as a forward, but would switch to goaltending at a coach’s recommendation. Martin would become a student of various styles of goaltending including butterfly and stand-up during his teens, and would attend a camp ran by former Soviet Union goaltender Vladislav Tretiak that encouraged different styles. Brodeur would make the Quebec Major Junior League(QMJHL) for the Saint-Hycainthe Laser , where he was an all rookie in 1989-1990 and second team all start in 1991-1992. He was drafted into the NHL in the first round by the New Jersey Devils in the 1990 NHL Draft.
NHL Career
Despite being drafted in the first round, Brodeur would spend a majority of his first year in NHL as an emergency relief goalie, splitting time between the QMJHL and NHL. Brodeur in his first season would only play in 4 NHL games with goaltenders Chris Terrei and Craig Billington got injured. Brodeur however, would win the Calder Award during the 1993-1994 season during his first full season in the NHL, an award given to the top NHL rookie in their first full NHL season. During that year, he would win the starting job over Chris Terrei after leading the New Jersey Devils to the Eastern Conference Final, and would remain the starting goaltender for the Devils for the next 19 seasons. With the New Jersey Devils, he would win 3 Stanley Cups(1994-1995, 1999-2000, 2002-2003), and five eastern conference championships. He is also one of 12 NHL goaltenders to score an NHL goal in the regular season, and is only the second to do so in a playoff game. It should also be motioned he is a five time William M Jennings trophy winner and a ten time NHL All-Star,. He is on the 2017 list for the “100 Greatest NHL Players” and is a hockey hall of fame member. Brodeur would retire from the NHL in the 2014-2015 season after one season with the St Louis Blues.
The Brodeur Rule
One of the factors that made Martin Brodeur so unique, was his ability to stickhandle behind the net. He was so unique at it, that a former manager for the Philadelphia Flyers dubbed a rule made by the NHL before the 2005-2006 season, the “Brodeur Rule”. Even though the rule itself was not made directly because of Brodeur, it does prevent NHL goalies from playing the puck behind the goal line unless it is in the trapezoid shaped zone behind the net. Brodeur is known for his ability to make creative plays from handling the puck behind the goal line, hence why the rule is in his name . The NHL has debated several times on eliminating the rule in an attempt to limit injuries on other players due to intense forechecking as a result of the rule. The rule however, still stands today and continues to mold the style of goaling.
International Career
Martin Brodeur’s international career, much like his NHL career, was also very successful. He would win two Olympic gold medals with the Canadian National team in 2002 and 2010, and was a staple goaltender in Canada’s dominant national team for years. During his first Olympics in 1998, he was actually the backup goaltender despite being an established NHL vet, only because the starting goaltender was the great Patrick Roy. Roy and Brodeur are in the debate not just for the greatest Canadian hockey goalie, but both are among the debate for the greatest goaltender of all time. When Martin did get the starting job in 2002, he never looked back and was also a champion in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Conclusion
In the end, Brodeur’s playing career lands him as one of the greatest NHL goalies of all time. He redefined what being a goaltender means through playing a hybrid style of goaltender, something that many goalies emulate in today’s NHL. He is currently an NHL advisor on hockey operations for the New Jersey Devils, and holds street hockey tournaments in his hometown. Ultimately, Brodeur’s legacy shows to other hockey players that goalies are just as athletic as anyone on the ice, and that grit is key to long-term success in hockey.