Martin Brodeur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Brodeur
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2018
Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils in November 2009
Born	(1972-05-06) May 6, 1972 (age 53) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	20th overall, 1990 New Jersey Devils
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 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 five Eastern Conference championships.

Martin Brodeur won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada. These wins were at the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympic Games. He also earned other medals with Team Canada. Many people think Brodeur is one of the greatest 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). He also has the most losses (397) and shutouts (125). He played in the most games (1,266) as a goalie. He won at least 30 games for twelve seasons in a row. He is the only goalie in NHL history with eight seasons of 40 wins. He won the Vezina Trophy four times. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy five times. He was an NHL All-Star ten times. He also won the Calder Memorial Trophy. He is one of 17 NHL goalies to score a goal in a regular season game. He was the second to score in the playoffs. His three goals are the most by any NHL goalie.

Brodeur used a special "hybrid" style of goaltending. He stood up more than typical "butterfly" goalies. Later in his career, he learned more modern techniques. He was known for handling the puck well. He was also good at positioning and had quick reflexes. His glove hand was especially fast. Brodeur's skill at handling the puck was so famous. It led to the NHL changing its rules. Goalies could no longer handle the puck outside a certain area. This area is called "the Brodeur rule". He retired in the middle of the 2014–15 season. He played a short time with the St. Louis Blues. He is now an executive for the Devils.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Martin Brodeur was born on May 6, 1972, in Montreal, Canada. He is one of five children. His father, Denis, played in the 1956 Olympics. Denis won a bronze medal with Team Canada. After playing, Denis became a photographer for the Montreal Canadiens. He went to all Montreal games and practices for over 20 years. When Martin was old enough, he went along too. Brodeur looked up to Canadiens goalie Patrick Roy.

Brodeur first played hockey as a forward. His journey as a goalie began when his coach asked him to be a backup. This was for a youth tournament. Brodeur said, "The next season my coach came up to me and said, 'Do you want to be a goalie or forward this year?' It was the biggest decision of my life, and I was seven years old. I don't know why I decided, but I thought it would be fun to play goal."

When he was 12, Brodeur almost stopped playing hockey. He had been removed from his team for missing a game. After talking with his brother Claude, he decided to keep playing. As a teenager, Brodeur learned different goalie styles. He went to a camp run by former Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak. Tretiak encouraged using many methods. Brodeur felt this made him "a student of the game." In the 1989–90 season, he joined the Quebec Major Junior League. He played for the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser. He made the QMJHL All-Rookie team in 1989–90. He also made the QMJHL Second All-Star Team in 1991–92. The New Jersey Devils drafted Brodeur in the first round (20th overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.

NHL Career with the Devils

Starting Strong (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. This happened when Devils goalies Chris Terreri and Craig Billington were injured. 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 for the Utica Devils in the American Hockey League (AHL).

In the 1993–94 season, Brodeur joined the NHL for good. He won the Calder Trophy, given to the best rookie. He helped the Devils get the second-best record in the league. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals. They lost to the New York Rangers in seven games. He finished second in goals against average (GAA) (2.40). He was fourth in save percentage (.915) in 47 regular season games. This helped him become the team's main goalie.

Brodeur is mobbed by teammates upon the Devils winning the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1994–95 NHL season was shorter due to a lockout. The Devils finished ninth overall. With Brodeur's leadership, they beat the Boston Bruins. They shut them out in three of their four wins. In the second round, they beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brodeur helped the Devils win in five games. In the third round, the Devils beat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. This sent them to their first Stanley Cup Finals. They played against the Detroit Red Wings, who were expected to win. Brodeur's strong play and the Devils' "trap" defense helped them win easily. They swept the Red Wings 4 games to 0. They only allowed seven goals in four games. Brodeur won a Stanley Cup in his second full NHL season. After the win, he said, "In the last game against Detroit, the time from ten minutes left to one minute left was probably the longest nine minutes of my life. But from one to zero was probably the greatest time I've ever had."

Continued Success (1995–1999)

After their Stanley Cup win, the Devils missed the playoffs in the 1995–96 NHL season. Brodeur played in 74 of 82 games. He set a record for most minutes played by a goalie. He had the second-most shutouts (6) in the league. He was named the starter for the All-Star Game. He stopped all 12 shots he faced. He finished fourth in voting for the Vezina Trophy. Brodeur also played for Team Canada in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Canada lost to the United States in the finals.

In the 1996–97 NHL season, the Devils finished third in the NHL. Brodeur was second for the Vezina Trophy. He was named to the All-Star team. He had the lowest goals against average in almost 30 years. This earned him the Jennings Trophy. He also had 10 shutouts. On April 17, 1997, Brodeur scored a goal in a playoff game. He shot the puck the length of the ice into an empty net. This was against the Montreal Canadiens. It was only the second time a goalie had scored in the playoffs. The Devils won that series. But they lost in the next round to the New York Rangers.

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 again made the All-Star Team. He was also a runner-up for the Vezina Trophy. He won the Jennings Trophy again.

In the 1998–99 NHL season, the Devils finished first in the Eastern Conference for the third year in a row. Brodeur won 39 games. He was a top contender for the Vezina Trophy. He started in the All-Star game. This was his fourth appearance. However, the Devils lost in the first round to the Penguins. This was Brodeur's worst playoff performance.

Championship Years (1999–2004)

During the 1999–2000 NHL season, Brodeur scored his second career goal. This happened on February 15, 2000. He was the last Devils player to touch the puck. A Flyers player accidentally put it into his own empty net. Brodeur had stopped a shot just before.

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 allowed only six goals in four games. In the next round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he had two shutouts. The Devils won that series. This set up a match with the rival Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers led the series 3–1. But Brodeur allowed only one goal in each of the last three games. This helped the Devils come back and win in seven games. They then played the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Devils won their second Stanley Cup in six years. Brodeur allowed only six goals in the last five games of the series.

The next year, Brodeur reached 40 wins for the third time. He played in the All-Star Game for the sixth year in a row. He helped the Devils get the top spot in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, Brodeur had two shutouts against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils won that series. After a tough seven-game series against Toronto, the Devils beat the Penguins. Brodeur had two more shutouts in that series. In their second straight Stanley Cup Finals, the Devils played the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche had star goalie Patrick Roy. The Devils lost in seven games.

Brodeur during pre-game warmups in March 2003

In the 2001–02 NHL season, Brodeur was among the league leaders in wins. But the Devils lost in the first round to the Hurricanes. 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 (MVP). He was named a First Team All-Star. Brodeur led the Devils to their third Stanley Cup win. They had tough seven-game series wins against the Ottawa Senators and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He had 3 shutouts against Anaheim. He set an NHL record with 7 shutouts in the playoffs. Even with this, the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP went to Anaheim goalie Jean-Sébastien Giguère.

In the 2003–04 NHL season, Brodeur won his second Vezina Trophy and Jennings Trophy. He was a First Team All-Star. He was also a finalist for the Hart Trophy again. The Devils lost the Atlantic Division title to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers then beat the Devils in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

The Brodeur Rule

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.

After the 2004–05 lockout, the NHL made a new rule. Goalies could not play the puck behind the goal line. They could only do so within a trapezoid-shaped zone behind the net. If a goalie played the puck outside this trapezoid, they would get a penalty. Many people saw this rule as targeting Brodeur. He was one of the best at handling the puck behind the net. This rule is often called "the Brodeur Rule."

In 2009, NHL general managers talked about removing the rule. Brodeur thought removing it could lead to more scoring. He said, "If you give the liberty to the goalies to play the puck, they'll mess up more than they're successful." He also worried about defensemen getting hit. The rule stayed in place. It was later adopted in other hockey leagues.

Later Years with the Devils (2005–2014)

After the 2004–05 NHL lockout canceled a season, Brodeur signed a new contract. In the 2005–06 NHL season, he had 43 wins. This added to his NHL records of five 40-win seasons and ten 30-win seasons in a row. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy again. He helped the Devils win the Atlantic Division. In the playoffs, he beat the Rangers for the first time. But the Devils lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.

Brodeur in December 2007

In the 2006–07 NHL 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. This moved him to second place all-time. On December 26, he got his 85th career shutout. This put him in third place all-time. On February 1, 2007, Brodeur set the all-time record for overtime wins. 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.

In the playoffs, Brodeur helped the Devils advance in six games. He passed Grant Fuhr for second place in all-time playoff victories. But the Devils lost to the Ottawa Senators in the second round.

In the 2007–08 NHL season, Brodeur became the second goalie to reach 500 wins. This happened on November 17, 2007. The only other goalies to do this were Roy and Marc-André Fleury. Brodeur was chosen as the starting goalie for the Eastern Conference All-Star Game.

Sean Avery attempts to distract Brodeur during game 3 of the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After losing to the Rangers in the 2008 playoffs, Brodeur refused to shake Sean Avery's hand. During one game, Avery tried to distract Brodeur by waving his hands and stick. The NHL later changed its unsportsmanlike conduct rule. This rule is now known as The Sean Avery Rule.

Brodeur started wearing a new mask design in the 2008–09 NHL season. On November 1, 2008, Brodeur had his first major injury. He missed 16 weeks of the season. When he returned on February 26, 2009, he got his 99th career shutout. Three days later, he recorded his 100th career shutout.

Breaking Records (2009–2014)

Starting in 2009, Brodeur broke many goalie records. On March 14, 2009, he got his 551st win. This tied him with Roy for the NHL record. Three days later, Brodeur passed Roy with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

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 appearances. He also set the record for most regular-season shutouts with 104. On December 30, 2009, Brodeur got 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.

Brodeur tending goal in November 2011

In the 2009–10 NHL season, Brodeur led the NHL in wins (45) and shutouts (9). He also led in games played (77) and minutes played. He won his fifth Jennings Trophy. The Devils won their division. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Brodeur had a tough start to the 2010–11 NHL season. The Devils were at the bottom of the NHL. The team improved later, but missed the playoffs. Brodeur had 23 wins.

The Devils returned to the playoffs in the 2011–12 NHL season. Brodeur had 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. The Devils won that series.

After winning another series, Brodeur and the Devils beat the Rangers. 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.

Brodeur before a game in April 2014

In 2012, Brodeur signed a two-year deal to stay with the Devils. On March 21, 2013, Brodeur scored a power play goal. This made him the only NHL goalie to score three career goals. Brodeur had 13 wins in 29 games in 2012–13.

The next season, he shared the starting goalie spot with Cory Schneider. Brodeur's stats went down. He had 19 wins in 39 games. On June 6, 2014, Brodeur said he would look for other teams. His 21 years with the Devils ended.

St. Louis Blues and Retirement

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 reported that Brodeur decided to retire. This decision came after the Blues' starting goalie returned. Brodeur was then the team's third goalie. Brodeur announced his retirement two days later. He played only seven games with the Blues. His final NHL win was a 3–0 shutout on December 29, 2014.

After Playing Hockey

After retiring, Brodeur was hired by the Blues. He became a special assistant to the general manager. On May 22, 2015, he became an assistant general manager for the Blues. On February 8, 2016, the New Jersey Devils showed a bronze statue of Brodeur. It is outside the Prudential Center. On February 9, 2016, Brodeur's number 30 jersey was retired by the Devils.

On July 25, 2017, Brodeur joined the management team for Canada's men's team. This was for the 2018 Winter Olympics. On August 29, 2018, Brodeur joined the Devils again. He became executive vice president of business development. On January 12, 2020, Brodeur became an advisor on hockey operations.

International Play

Brodeur playing for the Canadian national team in the 2010 Winter Olympics
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
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 became the starting goalie. He led Canada to a gold medal. He was undefeated in the tournament. He stopped 31 of 33 shots 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 GAA and save percentage. He was undefeated. He also had a great performance at the world hockey championships in 2005.

Brodeur was the starting goalie for Team Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics. He played in 4 games. But Canada did not win a medal.

He was one of three goalies for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He won a shootout game against Switzerland. He also had a loss to the United States. After that loss, he was benched for the rest of the Games. Roberto Luongo played instead.

Personal Life and Interests

Martin Brodeur has five children. His oldest son, Anthony, was born in 1995. His twin sons, William and Jeremy, were born in 1996. His daughter, Anabelle Antoinette, was born in 2002. He also has a son named Maxime Philippe, born in 2009.

Brodeur is known for being a good storyteller. He has hosted a street hockey tournament in his hometown. He played as a forward in these tournaments. His oldest brother, Denis Jr., is a photographer. His other older brother, Claude, was a baseball pitcher. He also has two sisters, Line and Sylvie.

In 2005, Brodeur started writing his autobiography. It was called Brodeur: Beyond the Crease. It was released in October 2006. The book talks about player salaries, NHL marketing, and the Devils' arena. Brodeur also shared his thoughts on the "new NHL" after the lockout.

Brodeur co-owns a business called La Pizzeria Etc. with former teammate Sheldon Souray. The restaurant is in Montreal.

Brodeur lives in New Jersey. He became a United States citizen on December 1, 2009. However, 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. He chose his son, Anthony. In August 2015, Anthony signed with a junior hockey team.

Fans chose Brodeur to be on the cover of the video game NHL 14. He was the first goalie on the cover since John Vanbiesbrouck in NHL 97.

Career Statistics

Bold indicates led league
Bold italics indicate NHL record

International Statistics

Bolded numbers indicate tournament leader

Martin Brodeur's Legacy

Brodeur (second from left) and other inductees into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame receive the Order of Sport award in October 2019.

During his NHL career, Brodeur set many league records. He finished his career with 691 wins, the most in NHL history. Brodeur also holds the record for most shutouts with 125. This is 22 more than the second-place goalie, Sawchuk. He played in 1,266 regular season games, more than any other goalie. In nine seasons, Brodeur led the NHL in wins. In five other seasons, he was among the top five goalies.

Brodeur's awards include four Vezina Trophies. This award is for the top goalie in the NHL. He also won the 1993–94 Calder Trophy as the best rookie. His five Jennings Trophies tie him with Roy for the most in NHL history. In playoff games, he had the most shutouts (24). His 113 playoff wins rank second all-time.

Many people call Brodeur one of the greatest goalies ever. Some say he had an advantage in wins because of his teammates. Others point to his long career. Brodeur played 70 or more games in 12 seasons.

Brodeur is remembered for his unique playing style. He was called "one of the most innovative [goalies] ever." This was because of his "superior puck-handling skills." Scott Gomez, a former teammate, said Brodeur was like an extra defenseman. The rule that stops goalies from handling the puck behind the net is called "The Brodeur Rule." This shows how famous his puck-handling was. His style was different from most goalies of his time. Most others used only the "butterfly" style.

A bronze statue of Martin Brodeur, called The Salute, was put up in 2016. It is outside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 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. He was also inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Awards and Honours

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