Martin Brodeur retired from professional hockey in Jan. 2015 with an extensive resume that most goaltenders could only dream of.
New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur finished his professional hockey career with more than a few accolades. It includes three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, one Calder Trophy, and four Vezina Trophies.
In this Archive issue, we go back to the winter of 2003. At this point, the goaltender had yet to win the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender, who is "adjudged to be the best at this position."
For any fan of Devils history or Martin Brodeur, this archive story is for you.
On a mid-season day like any other, in a 3-2 Devils win like so many others, Martin Brodeur became the first NHL goalie to win 30 or more games in eight straight seasons. He then announced that if it’s all the same to you, he would like to continue to chase the continuum.
“It’s about not being streaky and slumpy, just winning hockey games by staying steady all the time,” Brodeur said.
Like Pat Burns’ scowl or Lou Lamoriello’s white shirt, the scenery never changes at the Meadowlands, a cement tract where it is best to note the number on the nearest pole while parking or you might still be trying to find your car by the time Brodeur finally has a bad year.
To him, knocking down no less than 37 wins in eight straight seasons is no reason to get all sloppy or even all “slumpy” about it. This is an accomplishment that has been put in ideal perspective by GMs who, despite Brodeur’s two Stanley Cups and Olympic gold medal, never have voted him the Vezina Trophy. And you almost get the feeling Brodeur admires them for their consistency.
STATS DON’T TELL ENTIRE STORY
“One thing I like about Patrick (Roy) is how consistent he was and still is every year,” Brodeur said. “I’ve had stats good enough to win that award, and it just didn’t happen.”
It is easy to suggest that if more of these GMs had done as much for their clubs as Brodeur has done for his, they would have stayed employed long enough to learn how to vote. Jim Carey-Jim Carey!!!!-won a Vezina, and Brodeur has not.
Of course, since Brodeur made the NHL for good in 1993, Roy hasn’t either, largely because Dominik Hasek has been named five times. But it has even been four years since Brodeur was a runner-up. And bridesmaids during this time, such as Roman Turek and Roman Cechmanek, have yet to catch any bouquets projecting them as The Next or even earning the right to take Brodeur’s athletic supporter to the cleaners, where the balloting probably takes place.
Thus, Hasek’s retirement last June is not the only reason this injustice has gone on long enough. Unless the GMs blow a blooper from center ice this spring, Brodeur’s cover may be blown so badly that when they pull the cover off the trophies, his name will be on the Hart as well.
Think about it. On the NHL’s most successful teams this season, have Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi, or Mike Modano clearly shown to be more valuable than the goaltending leader in wins?
In the last 12 months, the Devils have let go Bobby Holik, Jason Arnott, and Petr Sykora, three critical players on their 2000 Stanley Cup team, and are still neck-and-neck with Ottawa for the best record in the East.
“It has been a double-edged sword for Marty,” said defenseman Ken Daneyko. “He has always been mentioned in the top three or four goalies, but because we’ve had a lot of depth and have been perceived as starless and defensive-oriented, he didn’t get enough accolades.
“But he is starting to get recognized more as the cornerstone of our franchise. And maybe now as the best goalie in the world.”
Let’s face it: most of the people who think it’s important that there be such a thing as a world’s best goalie live in Canada. And, after Brodeur beat the U.S. 5-2 last February in Salt Lake City, Roy, who hissed away his latest, and probably greatest, opportunity to play for his country, became yesterday’s news.
“I see by comments of people towards me, the Olympics opened some eyes,” Brodeur said.
And a Vezina would seal the deal.
“I would love to win it at some point, but it’s not something I will lose sleep over,” he said. “The two Cups is where I try to put my mind when people talk about this. There are great goalies who had great seasons the same years I did and played on teams centered by their (goaltending) performance every night, making them more of an eyecatcher.”
SUPERB PUCK-HANDLING SKILLS
We’re not so sure about that. Brodeur has the best eyes since Bette Davis’s, a terrific glove, and unprecedented puckhandling skills. Any student of the goaltending arts understands there is no hard relationship between number of saves and difficulty of victory. The 18-shot, 2-1 win leaves no margin for error enjoyed by the goalie, who kicks out a number of screamers in a 34-save, 5-1 success.
In fact, on a typical night, Brodeur prevents three to eight potential shots by clearing the puck himself. One cannot quantify the wear and tear he saves Scott Stevens and Daneyko, both still going amazingly strong at 38, as living, breathing celebrations of their goaltender, as well as his celebraters.
“Having a third defenseman back there makes the game much easier,” Daneyko said. “And Marty is so easy to be around."
“A lot of goalies are hot-headed and blame you, but he has never really done that. He takes the young guys out, gets the team together, and does the little things that don’t get seen by the media.”
LOCKED INTO NEW JERSEY
If three straight early-round defeats from 1997-99 and a mediocre Brodeur performance when the Devils lost to Roy in defense of their Cup in 2001 slowed the stream of clues, the people who know Brodeur best have long known just how good he is. Lamoriello, without his usual Soprano-styled, piano-wire contract negotiations, gave Brodeur a five-year, $40-million deal last season, in package making the New Jersey goalie the second highest paid next to Roy.
The contact takes Brodeur, still only 30, past unrestricted free agency. “I committed myself to stay in Jersey because I know we are going to have a chance to do really well here,” he said. “The (individual awards) are fun to get, and any recognition is flattering, but they don’t change much in my life. Winning a game is something I can do something about. The other things, I don’t get to vote.”
Exit polls indicate a landslide. It is Brodeur’s term at last.