Martin Brodeur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Martin Brodeur |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2018 | |||
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Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils in 2009
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| Born | May 6, 1972 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 216 lb (98 kg; 15 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | New Jersey Devils St. Louis Blues |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 20th overall, 1990 New Jersey Devils |
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| Playing career | 1991–2015 | ||
Martin Pierre Brodeur (born May 6, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He is now a team executive. He played for 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Most of his career (21 seasons) was with the New Jersey Devils. With the Devils, he won three Stanley Cup championships. He also won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Many people think Brodeur is one of the best goaltenders ever. In 2017, the NHL named him one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players". The next year, he was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Brodeur holds many NHL records for goalies. He has the most regular season wins (691), losses (397), shutouts (125), and games played (1,266). He won at least 30 games for twelve seasons in a row. He is the only goalie in NHL history to have eight seasons with 40 or more wins. He won the Vezina Trophy four times (for best goalie) and the William M. Jennings Trophy five times (for fewest goals allowed). He was also an NHL All-Star ten times and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie.
Brodeur is one of only 14 NHL goalies to score a goal. He is the second to score a goal in the playoffs. His three goals are the most by any NHL goaltender.
Brodeur used a special "hybrid" style of goaltending. He would stand up more than other goalies who used the "butterfly" style. He was very good at handling the puck, playing his position, and making quick saves, especially with his glove. Brodeur was so good at handling the puck that the NHL changed its rules. They added a special "trapezoid" area behind the net where goalies could play the puck. This rule is sometimes called "the Brodeur rule." He retired in the middle of the 2014–15 season after playing a few games with the St. Louis Blues. Today, he works as an executive for the Devils.
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Early Life and Hockey Start
Martin Brodeur was born on May 6, 1972, in Montreal, Canada. He has four brothers and sisters. His father, Denis, was also a hockey player. Denis won a bronze medal with Team Canada in the 1956 Olympics. After playing, Denis became a photographer for the Montreal Canadiens. For over 20 years, he went to all Canadiens games and practices. Martin often went with him. Brodeur looked up to Canadiens goalie Patrick Roy.
Brodeur first played hockey as a forward, not a goalie. His career as a goaltender began when his coach asked him to play as a backup goalie in a youth tournament.
When he was 12, Brodeur almost quit hockey. He had been taken out of a game for not showing up. But after talking with his brother Claude, he decided to keep playing. As a teenager, Brodeur learned many different goaltending styles. He went to a camp run by famous Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak. Tretiak taught him to use different methods, which Brodeur believes helped him learn more about the game.
In the 1989–90 season, Brodeur joined the Quebec Major Junior League. He played for the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser. He was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie team in 1989–90. In 1991–92, he made the QMJHL Second All-Star Team. The New Jersey Devils drafted Brodeur in the first round (20th overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
NHL Career Highlights
Starting with the New Jersey Devils
First Seasons (1991–1995)
In the 1991–92 NHL season, Brodeur mostly played in the QMJHL. But he was called up to the NHL for four games when the Devils' goalies got hurt. Brodeur won his first NHL game against the Boston Bruins 4–2. He also played in one playoff game that season. The next season, Brodeur played in the minor leagues.
In the 1993–94 season, Brodeur joined the NHL for good. He won the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the NHL. He helped the Devils have the second-best record in the league. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the New York Rangers. Brodeur had a low goals against average (2.40) and a good save percentage (.915) in 47 games. This helped him become the team's main goalie.
The 1994–95 season was shorter because of a lockout. The Devils finished fifth in their conference. With Brodeur's strong play, they beat the Boston Bruins in the first round. Brodeur had three shutouts in their four wins. In the second round, they beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then, they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers to reach their first Stanley Cup Finals. They played against the Detroit Red Wings, who were expected to win. But Brodeur's strong play and the Devils' "trap" defense helped them win. The Devils swept the Red Wings 4–0, allowing only seven goals in four games. Brodeur won his first Stanley Cup in his second full NHL season.
Continued Success (1995–1999)
After winning the Cup, the Devils missed the playoffs in the 1995–96 season. Brodeur played in 74 games, setting a record for most minutes played by a goalie. He had the second-most shutouts in the league (6). He was chosen to start in the All-Star Game and stopped all 12 shots he faced. He also played for Team Canada in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
In the 1996–97 season, the Devils finished third in the NHL. Brodeur was second in voting for the Vezina Trophy. He was named to the All-Star team. He also had the lowest goals against average in almost 30 years, winning the Jennings Trophy. He had 10 shutouts and a .927 save percentage. On April 17, 1997, in a playoff game, Brodeur shot the puck the length of the ice into an empty net. This made him the second goalie in NHL history to score a goal in the playoffs. The Devils won that series but lost in the next round.
The next year, Brodeur had 43 wins and 10 shutouts. The Devils finished first in the Eastern Conference. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Brodeur was again an All-Star and won the Jennings Trophy.
In the 1998–99 season, the Devils finished first in their conference for the third year in a row. Brodeur won 39 games and played in his fourth All-Star game. However, the Devils lost in the first round of the playoffs again.
More Stanley Cups (1999–2004)
During the 1999–2000 season, Brodeur was given credit for his second career goal. This happened when a player from the other team accidentally shot the puck into his own empty net. Brodeur had been the last Devils player to touch the puck.
That season, Brodeur won 43 games again. The Devils finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. Brodeur helped the Devils sweep the Florida Panthers in the first round. He had two shutouts against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the next round. Then, the Devils faced their rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers took a 3–1 lead in the series. But Brodeur allowed only one goal in each of the next three games. This helped the Devils come back and win the series in seven games. They then played the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. Brodeur played great, allowing only six goals in the last five games. The Devils won their second Stanley Cup Championship in six years.
The next year, Brodeur had over 40 wins for the third time. He played in his sixth All-Star Game. The Devils earned the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Brodeur had two shutouts against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. The Devils won that series. After a tough series against Toronto, the Devils beat the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. Brodeur had two more shutouts in that series. In their second straight Stanley Cup Finals, the Devils played the Colorado Avalanche. The series was close, but the Devils lost in seven games.
In the 2001–02 season, Brodeur was among the league leaders in wins. He was still a top goalie, but the Devils lost in the first round of the playoffs. The next season, in 2002–03, Brodeur won the Vezina Trophy for the first time. He also won the Jennings Trophy again. He was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy (for the league's Most Valuable Player). He was named a First Team All-Star and started in the All-Star Game.
Brodeur led the Devils to their third Stanley Cup victory with an amazing playoff performance. They won two seven-game series against the Ottawa Senators and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Brodeur had three shutouts against Anaheim and seven total shutouts in the playoffs. This broke the NHL record of six shutouts set by Dominik Hašek the year before. Even with his great play, the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP went to Anaheim's goalie, Jean-Sébastien Giguère.
In the 2003–04 season, Brodeur won his second Vezina Trophy and Jennings Trophy in a row. He was a First Team All-Star and an All-Star Game starter. The Devils lost their division title by one point to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers then beat the Devils in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
The Brodeur Rule
After the 2004–05 lockout, the NHL added a new rule. Goalies were not allowed to play the puck behind the goal line unless they were in a special trapezoid-shaped area behind the net. If a goalie played the puck outside this trapezoid, they would get a two-minute penalty. Many people thought this rule was made because Brodeur was so good at handling the puck behind the net. It became known as "the Brodeur Rule."
At a meeting in 2009, NHL general managers talked about removing the rule. They thought it might help prevent injuries to defensemen. Brodeur believed that letting goalies play the puck more could lead to more scoring and exciting games. He also worried about defensemen getting hit hard. But the idea was rejected, and the rule stayed. The rule was later added to other hockey leagues' rulebooks.
Later Years with Devils (2005–2014)
After the 2004–05 NHL lockout canceled a season, Brodeur signed a new contract with the Devils in 2006. In the 2005–06 season, he had 43 wins. This added to his NHL records of five 40-win seasons and ten straight 30-win seasons. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the third year in a row. He helped the Devils make a big comeback late in the season to win their division. In the playoffs, he helped the Devils sweep the Rangers. But they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.
In the 2006–07 season, Brodeur played in his ninth NHL All-Star Game. He won his third Vezina Trophy. On December 8, 2006, he got his 462nd career win, moving him to second place all-time. A few weeks later, he recorded his 85th career shutout, moving him to third place all-time in shutouts. On February 1, 2007, Brodeur set the all-time record for overtime wins (45). The Devils won their first 38 games of the season with Brodeur in net, setting an NHL record.
On April 3, 2007, Brodeur tied the NHL record for most wins in a single season with 47. Two days later, he broke the record with his 48th win. This helped the Devils win the Atlantic Division title. In the playoffs, the Devils won their first series. Brodeur passed Grant Fuhr for second place in all-time playoff wins. But the Devils lost in the second round.
In the 2007–08 season, Brodeur became the second goalie in NHL history to reach 500 wins. He was chosen to start for the Eastern Conference in the 2007–08 NHL All Star Game.
After losing a playoff series to the Rangers in 2008, Brodeur refused to shake Sean Avery's hand. During one game, Avery tried to distract Brodeur by waving his hands and stick in front of his face. The next day, the NHL changed its unsportsmanlike conduct rule, which is now sometimes called "The Sean Avery Rule."
For the 2008–09 NHL season, Brodeur started wearing a new mask design. On November 1, 2008, he got his first major injury, a torn biceps tendon. He missed 16 weeks of the season. When he returned, he recorded his 99th and then 100th career shutouts.
Breaking Records (2009–2014)
Starting in 2009, Brodeur broke many career records for goalies. On March 14, 2009, he tied Patrick Roy for the NHL record with 551 wins. Three days later, Brodeur passed Roy with his 552nd win.
On November 27, Brodeur set the record for most minutes played in the NHL. On December 18, he broke Roy's record for most career games played (1,030). He also set the record for most regular-season shutouts with 104, passing Terry Sawchuk. On December 30, 2009, Brodeur recorded his 105th career shutout. This gave him the all-time professional record. On April 6, 2010, Brodeur reached his 600th career win. This was also his 110th career shutout.
In the 2009–10 NHL season, Brodeur led the NHL in wins (45), shutouts (9), games played (77), and minutes played. He also won his fifth Jennings Trophy. The Devils won their division again. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs. The 2010–11 season was tough for the Devils, and they missed the playoffs.
The Devils returned to the playoffs in the 2011–12 NHL season. Brodeur recorded his 14th season with 30 wins. In Game 1 of the playoffs, Brodeur became the second goalie to get 100 playoff wins. In Game 4, he broke the NHL career playoff shutout record with his 24th, passing Roy. The Devils won that series in double overtime.
After winning another series, Brodeur and the Devils beat the Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals. This led to Brodeur's fifth Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The Devils lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games. Brodeur had a strong playoff performance that year.
In 2012, Brodeur signed a two-year deal to stay with the Devils. On March 21, 2013, Brodeur was credited with a power play goal. This made him the only NHL goalie to score three career goals. It was also the first time a goalie scored on a power play since 2002. The next season, he shared the starting goalie spot with Cory Schneider. Brodeur's stats went down a bit. On June 6, 2014, Brodeur said he would look for other teams. His 21 years with the Devils came to an end.
Time with the St. Louis Blues
On November 26, 2014, Brodeur signed a tryout contract with the St. Louis Blues. Their starting goalie was injured. A week later, Brodeur signed a one-year deal with the Blues.
On January 27, 2015, it was announced that Brodeur had decided to retire from the NHL. This decision came after the Blues' starting goalie returned. Brodeur had become the team's third goalie. He announced his retirement two days later. He played only seven games with the Blues, winning three of them. His final NHL win was a 3–0 shutout on December 29, 2014.
After Playing Hockey
After retiring, Brodeur was hired by the Blues as a special assistant. On May 22, 2015, he became an assistant general manager for the team.
On February 8, 2016, the New Jersey Devils showed a bronze statue of Brodeur. It is outside the Prudential Center. The statue was officially dedicated on October 22, 2016. On February 9, 2016, the Devils retired Brodeur's number 30 jersey. This means no other Devils player will wear that number.
On July 25, 2017, Brodeur joined the management team for Canada's men's team for the 2018 Winter Olympics. On August 29, 2018, Brodeur joined the Devils again as an executive. On January 12, 2020, he became an advisor on hockey operations.
International Play
_(cropped1).jpg) Brodeur playing for the Canadian national team in the 2010 Winter Olympics |
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| Medal record | ||
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| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing  Canada |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2002 Salt Lake City | |
| Gold | 2010 Vancouver | |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 1996 Austria | |
| Silver | 2005 Austria | |
Brodeur was the backup goalie for Team Canada in the 1998 Winter Olympics. He did not play in any games. Canada did not win a medal.
In the 2002 Olympics, Brodeur started as the backup. But after the first game, he became the starting goalie. He helped Canada win a gold medal. He did not lose any games in the tournament. He made 31 saves in the gold-medal game against Team USA.
Brodeur then led Team Canada to a World Cup of Hockey championship in 2004. He allowed only five goals in five games. He led all goalies in goals against average and save percentage. He also played well for the team at the world hockey championships in 2005.
Brodeur was Team Canada's starter in the 2006 Winter Olympics. He played in four games. But Canada did not win a medal after losing in the quarterfinals.
He was one of three goalies for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics. He won a shootout game against Switzerland but lost to the United States. After that loss, he was benched for the rest of the Games.
Personal Life
Brodeur has four children from his first marriage: Anthony (born 1995), twin sons William and Jeremy (born 1996), and Anabelle Antoinette (born 2002). He later married Genevieve and they had a son, Maxime Philippe, born in 2009.
Brodeur is known for being a good storyteller. He has hosted a street hockey tournament in his hometown after each of the Devils' Stanley Cup wins. In these tournaments, he played as a forward. His oldest brother, Denis Jr., is a photographer, like their father. His other older brother, Claude, was a minor league baseball pitcher. He also has two sisters, Line and Sylvie.
In 2005, Brodeur started writing his autobiography, Brodeur: Beyond the Crease. It was released in 2006. In the book, he talks about player salaries, NHL marketing, and the Devils' new arena. He also shares his thoughts on the "new NHL" after the lockout.
Brodeur co-owns a business called La Pizzeria Etc. with his former teammate Sheldon Souray. The restaurant is in Montreal. Brodeur lives in New Jersey. He became a U.S. citizen on December 1, 2009. However, because of hockey rules, he can only play for Canada in international games.
On June 30, 2013, the Devils traded for a draft pick. Brodeur was asked to announce the pick, and he chose his son, Anthony. In August 2015, Anthony signed to play for a junior hockey team.
Fans voted for Brodeur to be on the cover of the video game NHL 14. He was the first goalie to be on the cover since John Vanbiesbrouck in NHL 97.
Legacy and Impact
During his NHL career, Brodeur set many league records. He finished with 691 wins, which is 140 more than Patrick Roy, who is second all-time. Brodeur also has a record 125 shutouts, 22 more than Terry Sawchuk, who is second. He played in 1,266 regular season games, over 200 more than any other goalie. Brodeur led the NHL in wins in nine seasons. In five other seasons, he was among the top five goalies in wins.
Brodeur won the Vezina Trophy four times as the NHL's top goalie. He also won the 1993–94 Calder Trophy as the best rookie. His five Jennings Trophies (for fewest goals allowed) tie him with Roy for the most in NHL history. In the playoffs, he has the most shutouts (24) and is second in playoff wins (113).
Many sports writers and players call Brodeur one of the greatest goalies in NHL history. Some point out that Brodeur played for a very long time. He played 70 or more games in 12 seasons, while Roy never did.
Brodeur is remembered for his unique playing style. He was called "one of the most innovative [goalies] ever" because of his "superior puck-handling skills." Scott Gomez, a former teammate, said Brodeur was like an extra defenseman on the ice. The rule that stops goalies from playing the puck outside a trapezoid behind the net is often called "The Brodeur Rule." This shows how much his puck-handling skills stood out. His style was unusual for his time, as most other goalies used the butterfly style.
The Salute, a bronze statue of Martin Brodeur, was put outside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in 2016. On June 26, 2018, it was announced that Brodeur would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2019, Brodeur received the Order of Sport and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Awards and Honours
†Shared with Mike Dunham in 1997. Tied with Roman Čechmánek and Robert Esche in 2003. Nominations
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Images for kids
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Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils in 2009
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Brodeur is mobbed by teammates upon the Devils winning the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals.
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Brodeur during pre-game warmups in March 2003.
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The goaltender trapezoids behind each goal, added by the NHL before the 2005–06 season, were widely viewed as singling out Brodeur for his puck-handling skills.
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Brodeur in December 2007.
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Brodeur readies himself for action during a game in 2008.
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Sean Avery attempts to distract Brodeur during game 3 of the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Brodeur playing in November 2011.
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Brodeur prior to his penultimate game as a Devil in April 2014.
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Brodeur playing for the Canadian national team in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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Brodeur (second from left) and other inductees into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame receive the Order of Sport award in 2019.
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A statue of Brodeur outside of Prudential Center.
See also
In Spanish: Martin Brodeur para niños
- List of goaltenders who have scored a goal in an NHL game
- List of NHL goaltenders with 300 wins
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- New Jersey Devils notable players and award winners
