Blueland Guest Goalie: Martin Brodeur

Pasi Nurminen was my first goalie love. My first non-Thrasher goalie love was Martin Brodeur. When I started to get in to hockey, I watched it with my husband. (He's from Connecticut and has always been a hockey nut) We were watching a game one day and I asked "Who is that goalie? I like him, he smiles a lot." It was love since then.





When the Devils came through Blueland on October 16 last season, I made Marty a sign cheering him on in his quest for breaking Roy's record. I even wore a Brodeur shirt in my home arena! Of course I wore my Moose jersey OVER the shirt and still cheered for the Thrashers though.





When Shauna and I went to Jersey in March, I brought a sign with me.





And, we journeyed to Raleigh to watch the Devils take a giant crap on the ice in Game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Play Offs. I brought this sign, plus a "Happy Early Birthday Marty" sign





Marty is currently #2 on my list of favorite goalies. Moose is #1 and no one can top him. #3 is Tim Thomas and #4 is Marc Andre Fleury. Marc Andre Fleury gave me a tap on the glass when I brought him a sign. I've brought Marty THREE signs and NOTHING! This (blurry) picture is proof that he sees the signs. Watch out Marty. You get one more chance this season. If Tim Thomas gives me a tap...there could be an upset in the Top 4! (I'm sure they can barely sleep over it)





Martin Pierre Brodeur was born 8 days after I was on May 6, 1972 in Montreal, Quebec. Marty's dad, Denis, was also a goalie. He played in the 1956 Olympics for Team Canada and won a bronze medal. As well as being a goalie, Denis was the team photographer for the Montreal Canadiens for 20 years, so Marty was exposed to hockey and the NHL early in his life.





Like most kids in Canada, Marty grew up playing hockey as much as possible. He idolized his older brothers and says they would play street hockey all day if you let them, only coming in for meals. Marty didn't start out as a goalie though, he liked to score. He had played some back up goal, but enjoyed playing forward. The most important decision of his life came to him at the age of 7 when the coach came to him and asked "Do you want to be a goalie or a forward this year?" Of course, he chose goal.





Marty played his entire minor hockey within the Saint-Leonard Minor Hockey Association and at 16, he joined the Montreal-Bourassa Midget AAA Team. This is where his play began to draw attention from scouts and he is considered the best prospect among goalkeepers.





During the summer of 1988, he is invited to Calgary for the National U17 Hockey Festival. He faces some 100 top prospects in the country and performs well. He decides that hockey is the what he wants to do and sets the ultimate goal to make the NHL.





In 1989, Marty joins the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser in the Quebec Major Junior League.





In the 1990 NHL entry draft, Marty was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1st round, 20th overall. Marty remained with the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser.





Marty remained with the Lasers for 3 seasons and was very successful. In 1992, Marty made the QMJHL All-Rookie team and the QMJHL All Star Team.





At the end of the 1991-92 season, Marty got the emergency call up to the NHL. Marty made his NHL debut on March 26, 1992 against the Boston Bruins. He called his older brother Denis Jr. and he came down for the game. Denis Jr. said during warm up that Marty didn't stop a single puck and he was getting worried, but Marty went on to win the game 4-2. Marty would get called up 3 more times that season when Devils' goaltenders Chris Terreri or Craig Billington became injured.





For the 1992-93 season Marty reported to the Utica Devils. Marty spent the entire season there playing in 32 games posting an un-martylike 4.03 GAA and a .884 Sv%.





The 1993-94 season was Marty's first full NHL season and he played 47 games and wins 27 of them and leading the Devils to the second best record in the league and the Eastern Conference Finals in the Playoffs (the lost to the stupid Rangers in 7 games). Marty won the Calder Trophy that year, recognizing him as the best rookie in the NHL. He finished 2nd in the goals against average and 4th in save percentage during the regular season and took the starting job from Terreri.





Since taking the job from Terreri Marty hasn't looked back. He has spent his entire career back stopping the New Jersey Devils, a rarity these days. He is a consummate work horse, sometimes a little too much. He usually plays a little too much, 70+ games per season. His hard work has racked up many records and he's won award after award.





Marty has three Stanley Cup Rings. He led his team to win the cup in 1995, 2000 and 2003.





Marty is the youngest goal tender in NHL history to reach 300, 400 and 500 regular season wins. Marty has won at least 35 games in every season between 1996-97 and 2007-08, and is the only goalie in NHL history with seven 40 win seasons. On March 14, 2009, Brodeur recorded his 551st career win against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre to tie Patrick Roy (who was in attendance) for the most wins in NHL history. On March 17, 2009 with a win against the Chicago Blackhawks, Marty became the leader in regular season wins by a goalie with 552 wins. Marty will more than likely break Terry Sawchuck's record of 103 shutouts this season as well.





Marty has been successful on an international level as well competing in 3 Olympic competitions. Well, I'm not sure you could call what he did in his first Olympic appearance as "competing." Marty was set to back up Patrick Roy in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. On the plane on the way over the told Marty "you aren't going to play." Lord knows Roy wasn't about to let Marty play. According to Marty's autobiography "Brodeur: Beyond The Crease" Marty never forgave Roy for this. Team Canada did not win any medals in ice hockey that year, they lost the bronze-medal match to Finland in a game that many thought Marty should have played.
Marty finally got his medal in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics when he led his team to a gold medal.
In addition to the Olympics, Marty also has 2 silver medals from the World Championships from 1996 and 2005.





I could sing of the wonders of Marty for ever, but I'm running out of room and you are probably running out of interest, so let's list some more of Marty's accomplishments:
* Vezina Trophy - 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
* Jennings Trophy - 1997 (with Mike Dunham) 1998, 2003 (tied Roman Cechmanek & Robert Esche(, 2004
* NHL All Star Game - 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008





Marty is an amazing athlete and such a fun goalie to watch. I wish I had gotten in to hockey sooner so I could have watched him more. I love how he plays. I love his amazing stick handling. I mean of course he's amazing, they created the trapezoid just to reign in his mad puck handling skills. Yeah yeah yeah, he played behind the defensive power house, but you can't deny his stats and longevity. He's got another 2 years on his contract and I look forward to watching him.





Fun thing about Marty...he is apparently a great chef and owns a pizza place in Montreal with Sheldon Souray. He also owns a Spa in Montreal.


So I've sang the glories of Brodeur, what everyone usually loves to pull out when I say I'm a Brodeur fan is the whole sister-in-law thing. Hell, even I love a good sister in law joke at times. No, he did NOT bang his wife's sister. Marty and his wife (Melanie) were having some problems anyway. For some unknown reason, Melanie's 1/2 brother and his wife (Genevieve) moved in with the Brodeurs. Things got out of hand and Marty and Genevieve ended up having an affair. It was a completely shitty thing to do and Marty should have been ashamed of himself and it seems he was. He stated in his book "I had made mistakes, and at times had acted like a model idiot." Marty and Gen's relationship wasn't exactly a fling. Marty and Gen were married in the summer of 2008, 5 years after the fiasco.
Marty and Melanie still bicker over alimony from time to time. Shut up and give her the money, Marty. You owe her that until your kids are grown.




Mr. Fred very generously donated some more pictures!


This was an important game because this game was Marty's 97th shut out.



Notice the puck under Marty's right leg. (Mr. Fred so rocks!)



What's fun about this picture is I think I have the same exact picture from a different angle.