Greatness is exemplified through ones achievements. In sports, this is shown through ones personal records, statistics and championships. Martin Brodeur epitomizes greatness for the New Jersey Devils and for the National Hockey League.
Brodeur made his debut with the Devils as a 19 year old during the 1991-92 season. He broke in for good during the 1993-94 season. He was a mainstay with the Devils for a total of 20 seasons. During that time, Brodeur led the Devils to 9 regular season division titles, 5 conference playoff championships, and 3 Stanley Cups. He was a league leader over several different seasons for both shutouts and wins, including a still-standing league record of 48 regular season wins. He is the career leader in wins (691), shutouts (125), minutes played, shots faced, and saves. His career marks in wins and shutouts may never be equaled. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy, 5 Jennings Trophies and 4 Vezina Trophies. He was an NHL All-Star 9 times. Brodeur also made 3 appearances for Team Canada in the Olympics (2 Gold Medals) and 2 in the World Cup (1 Gold Medal).
Brodeur had a unique style in net, playing a hybrid between butterfly and stand-up. He also established himself as the team's 3rd on-ice defenseman, playing the puck and poking it away, and even at times, setting up the offensive play with long outlet passes. Brodeur holds offensive records for goaltenders as well, including a goal scored in a playoff game. The NHL, coming out of the 2004-05 lockout, established a new rule meant to limit goalies on playing the puck behind the net - "The Brodeur Rule".
Brodeur has established himself as a future NHL Hall of Famer and a New Jersey Devils legend. Tomorrow night, he will have his number 30 retired by the Devils. But the Devils are bestowing on Brodeur a new, higher honor - a statue at Prudential Center.
The Franchise is a moniker in sports given to the player who first legitimized an organization as a championship team, without whom, the long-term success would not have happened. Some teams wait around for a decade or more before finding such player. Some teams never get this arc for various reasons. The impact is almost instantaneous (though the championship may not be). It's a young player who comes up through the minor league system and when they reach the major leagues, there's usually a buzz, if not, soon after.
For the New Jersey Devils, Martin Brodeur is "The Franchise".
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Showing posts with label Martin Brodeur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Brodeur. Show all posts
Monday, February 8, 2016
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Devils Nostalgia
It has been a busy week in Devils land...off the ice. The team announced plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first Stanley Cup (March 7th with an Alumni Game and March 8th with a pregame ceremony). And legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur announced his retirement...as a St. Louis Blue...to join the front office...in St. Louis.
I feel like I'll have a lot to say about Brodeur and I'm sure memories will start coming out about the 1995 team. But I had one thought, and I was challenged on it. I've said for a while that the Devils should have a "greatest games" DVD collection. This week got me thinking of that again.
So what games go on this list (hint, the first 3 are obvious)?
I feel like I'll have a lot to say about Brodeur and I'm sure memories will start coming out about the 1995 team. But I had one thought, and I was challenged on it. I've said for a while that the Devils should have a "greatest games" DVD collection. This week got me thinking of that again.
So what games go on this list (hint, the first 3 are obvious)?
- Game 4, 1995 Stanley Cup Finals - Devils win their 1st Stanley Cup in a 4 game upset sweep
- Game 6, 2000 Stanley Cup Finals - Devils win their 2nd Stanley Cup in double OT
- Game 7, 2003 Stanley Cup Finals - Devils win their 3rd Stanley Cup with a shutout in Game 7
- Devils make the playoffs for the first time in their history with an OT goal in Chicago
- Game 6, 2012 Eastern Conference Finals - Devils win their 5th Prince of Wales Trophy in OT against the Rangers (Henrique, It's Over)
- Game 7, 2000 Eastern Conference Finals - Devils win Game 7 on the road in Philly to return to the Stanley Cup Finals
- Game 7, 2003 Eastern Conference Finals - Devils win Game 7 on the road in Ottawa to return to the Stanley Cup Finals
- Brodeur wins 552, Elias breaks MacLean's Devils scoring record
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Saturday, December 27, 2014
My Devils Fandom is at a Crossroads
Fridays's news got me thinking...differently...about my Devils fandom. Let me put this out there - I am NOT thinking of jumping ship or even dropping my season tickets - but for the first time in my time as Devils fan (which dates back to somewhere between 1987 and 1995), the Devils have pretty much hit rock bottom.
After Lou Lamoriello took over as GM (among other roles) in the summer of 1987, the Devils made the playoffs for the first time in their history (which dates back to the 1982-83 season) in 1988, after which the Devils had only missed twice before the summer of 2011. They've missed the playoffs 3 times in 4 seasons since then, with the chance of making it 4 in 5 if they can't turn things around in the next 3 1/2 months. I never knew the days of struggle. And I really didn't know much of the Devils life before their first Stanley Cup. This is foreign territory to me.
For the first time since I was even aware of the New Jersey Devils, people are saying that Lou Lamoriello's time has come and gone. He's a Hall of Fame GM whose time to leave was maybe as much as 10 years ago. So there's the potential for a new era in my Devils fandom. For the first time since I became a full-on Devils fan, Martin Brodeur isn't with the club, which is certainly a new era in my Devils fandom.
And another first in my time...and maybe it will never be publically admitted...it's time for rebuilding the franchise in New Jersey. We got new owners in 2013. Lou's closer to the end than the beginning. And one thing we've learned by the firing of a bad coach was that there's a lot of player problems too (too old, young kids not developing, lost talent).
It's definitely a crossroads for my Devils fandom. Time for the team to take this coaching change, and maybe this season, and turn the corner.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
After Lou Lamoriello took over as GM (among other roles) in the summer of 1987, the Devils made the playoffs for the first time in their history (which dates back to the 1982-83 season) in 1988, after which the Devils had only missed twice before the summer of 2011. They've missed the playoffs 3 times in 4 seasons since then, with the chance of making it 4 in 5 if they can't turn things around in the next 3 1/2 months. I never knew the days of struggle. And I really didn't know much of the Devils life before their first Stanley Cup. This is foreign territory to me.
For the first time since I was even aware of the New Jersey Devils, people are saying that Lou Lamoriello's time has come and gone. He's a Hall of Fame GM whose time to leave was maybe as much as 10 years ago. So there's the potential for a new era in my Devils fandom. For the first time since I became a full-on Devils fan, Martin Brodeur isn't with the club, which is certainly a new era in my Devils fandom.
And another first in my time...and maybe it will never be publically admitted...it's time for rebuilding the franchise in New Jersey. We got new owners in 2013. Lou's closer to the end than the beginning. And one thing we've learned by the firing of a bad coach was that there's a lot of player problems too (too old, young kids not developing, lost talent).
It's definitely a crossroads for my Devils fandom. Time for the team to take this coaching change, and maybe this season, and turn the corner.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Say it ain't so, Marty
You are now a St. Louis Blue. I don't really know how to feel about this. There is a small part of me happy for you because you seem to have gotten what you wanted...another game to test out that competitive fire. A chance at going for 700 wins.
But Marty, you have committed treason. Okay, treason in a hockey sense (nobody will actually die because of this and no government is being overthrown). I won't use the word "traitor"...that one is reserved for you if you join the Rags. But this still isn't right. Seeing you play in an NHL game for anyone besides the New Jersey Devils is a betrayal.
It hurts me to say this, Marty, but I've thought you should hang up your goalie pads and mask since last season ended. You received a nice sendoff from Devils fans, many of whom knew it was your last game as a New Jersey Devil, even if we were a bit unsure exactly what was going on. But you didn't end last season well. Your skills diminished late in the season. It started with that outdoor game. Why tarnish your career stat sheet after 21 years by sticking a team that isn't the New Jersey Devils on it, if just for a few games? Why risk a little bit of ego trying to play when you just might not have it anymore?
But on Saturday afternoon, I'm going to head out to Long Island to see this act of treason in person. Maybe it's like wanting to slow down as you pass an accident scene. Maybe there's some unfinished business on my end because there is some on your end. And maybe it's to raise a charge of "TreasoNJ" (a bad attempt to blend the word "treason" with "NJ") in person. I don't know. But I have to go see it.
Why all this over Brodeur? He's the Franchise. Now in another uniform.
Say it ain't so, Marty.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
But Marty, you have committed treason. Okay, treason in a hockey sense (nobody will actually die because of this and no government is being overthrown). I won't use the word "traitor"...that one is reserved for you if you join the Rags. But this still isn't right. Seeing you play in an NHL game for anyone besides the New Jersey Devils is a betrayal.
It hurts me to say this, Marty, but I've thought you should hang up your goalie pads and mask since last season ended. You received a nice sendoff from Devils fans, many of whom knew it was your last game as a New Jersey Devil, even if we were a bit unsure exactly what was going on. But you didn't end last season well. Your skills diminished late in the season. It started with that outdoor game. Why tarnish your career stat sheet after 21 years by sticking a team that isn't the New Jersey Devils on it, if just for a few games? Why risk a little bit of ego trying to play when you just might not have it anymore?
But on Saturday afternoon, I'm going to head out to Long Island to see this act of treason in person. Maybe it's like wanting to slow down as you pass an accident scene. Maybe there's some unfinished business on my end because there is some on your end. And maybe it's to raise a charge of "TreasoNJ" (a bad attempt to blend the word "treason" with "NJ") in person. I don't know. But I have to go see it.
Why all this over Brodeur? He's the Franchise. Now in another uniform.
Say it ain't so, Marty.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
You've Got to Fight. For Your Right. For MAR-TY
That title, if it didn't come across well, is a play on the title of the 1986 Beastie Boys single (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!), but with a twist to Marty Brodeur.
We've been through this drill once or twice before, but TODAY really really really really could be the last game as a New Jersey Devil for the Devils franchise goalie. I'm actually trying not to get choked up writing and thinking this.
I've got some scattered memories of the Devils going back to the late '80s in the years before Brodeur, but I've never followed the Devils on a day-to-day basis without Martin Brodeur being the goaltender. Sure there have been a couple of times when Marty was out with an injury, but we knew that eventually Marty would be, as a mother might say to a young child talking about a boo-boo, "all better" (giving rise to the chants of "Marty's Better"). Only during this season's trade deadline did the sudden and non-April reality come close to being a possibility that Martin Brodeur might soon no longer be a New Jersey Devil.
And here we are at today. The final game of the 2013-14 season. The Devils are missing the playoffs (for an un-Devil-like 2nd straight season). And with his contract up, with his playing time at an all-time low, and his skills seemingly diminished from his Hall of Fame career-prime, the reality sets in today that MARTIN BRODEUR COULD BE (AND VERY LIKELY IS) PLAYING HIS LAST GAME AS A NEW JERSEY DEVIL.
I think I would feel better about this situation if Marty had come out and said that he is retiring at season's end and doing it as a New Jersey Devil. But that's not necessarily going to be the case. Brodeur's contract with the Devils is up. But he still thinks he can play at a high level next season (everything I've heard talks about just one more season) and he wants to have more playing time than the split-season arrangement that he's had with Cory Schneider this season. And the consensus is that these things won't happen next season as a New Jersey Devil. He'll test the free agent market (he gave us quite a scare 2 years ago testing the market and then re-signing with New Jersey after 2 days).
I can't fathom seeing Brodeur in another NHL jersey next season. To quote Simpsons character Ralph Wiggum, "that's unpossible". I also don't think he has the skills left in his goalie pads to play well playing even as much as the half season he played this year with the Devils. That in itself is sad to think about. But I believe it and a lot of other Devils fans I've spoken with believe it too. But Marty still thinks he can go somewhere, play well, play more than he played this season, and make an impact. And I think someone needs sit him down and give him a good talking-to. Marty needs reality to set in over fantasy. Because I just don't think Marty is going to find what he's looking for. And sadly, he's not the best option for the New Jersey Devils after today either (and I think they know that).
So this can go down one of a couple ways
But soon, the reality is going to set in MOST LIKELY going to be Martin Brodeur's last game as a member of the New Jersey Devils.
In 2011, I bought season tickets to the Devils, up in the balcony on the end where the Hall of Fame goalie defends the goal twice every night. And the big reason I did it, aside from the great price, was that I wanted to see the end of Brodeur's career, however long it may be, in person. I'm not saying I'll drop my tickets after next season (I'm already paid in full for 2014-15), or after "Marty Brodeur Night" when the number 30 is raised to the rafters (initially over the goal on the end at which I sit). But after today, that might be the next time we in the arena get to chant "MAR-TY, MAR-TY". Still sad to think about.
But for today...
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
We've been through this drill once or twice before, but TODAY really really really really could be the last game as a New Jersey Devil for the Devils franchise goalie. I'm actually trying not to get choked up writing and thinking this.
#NJDevils fans, at what point do you think it will actually hit you that TODAY is the final game for @MartinBrodeur in a @NHLDevils uniform?
— Jason Bornstein (@DyHrdMET) April 13, 2014I've got some scattered memories of the Devils going back to the late '80s in the years before Brodeur, but I've never followed the Devils on a day-to-day basis without Martin Brodeur being the goaltender. Sure there have been a couple of times when Marty was out with an injury, but we knew that eventually Marty would be, as a mother might say to a young child talking about a boo-boo, "all better" (giving rise to the chants of "Marty's Better"). Only during this season's trade deadline did the sudden and non-April reality come close to being a possibility that Martin Brodeur might soon no longer be a New Jersey Devil.
And here we are at today. The final game of the 2013-14 season. The Devils are missing the playoffs (for an un-Devil-like 2nd straight season). And with his contract up, with his playing time at an all-time low, and his skills seemingly diminished from his Hall of Fame career-prime, the reality sets in today that MARTIN BRODEUR COULD BE (AND VERY LIKELY IS) PLAYING HIS LAST GAME AS A NEW JERSEY DEVIL.
I think I would feel better about this situation if Marty had come out and said that he is retiring at season's end and doing it as a New Jersey Devil. But that's not necessarily going to be the case. Brodeur's contract with the Devils is up. But he still thinks he can play at a high level next season (everything I've heard talks about just one more season) and he wants to have more playing time than the split-season arrangement that he's had with Cory Schneider this season. And the consensus is that these things won't happen next season as a New Jersey Devil. He'll test the free agent market (he gave us quite a scare 2 years ago testing the market and then re-signing with New Jersey after 2 days).
I can't fathom seeing Brodeur in another NHL jersey next season. To quote Simpsons character Ralph Wiggum, "that's unpossible". I also don't think he has the skills left in his goalie pads to play well playing even as much as the half season he played this year with the Devils. That in itself is sad to think about. But I believe it and a lot of other Devils fans I've spoken with believe it too. But Marty still thinks he can go somewhere, play well, play more than he played this season, and make an impact. And I think someone needs sit him down and give him a good talking-to. Marty needs reality to set in over fantasy. Because I just don't think Marty is going to find what he's looking for. And sadly, he's not the best option for the New Jersey Devils after today either (and I think they know that).
So this can go down one of a couple ways
- Marty decides that this is it, go out a Devil, and don't test free agency (the preferred option)
- Marty tests the waters in free agency, and finds nothing to his liking, and retires (also acceptable when looking at his final hockey card)
- The Devils bring Brodeur back next season
- Marty finds a job somewhere else next season, and it turns out to be a bust, meanwhile tainting all of his career marks because they no longer happened in one uniform
- Marty finds what he's looking for with another team, and reaches the 700 win mark in another jersey (least desirable scenario)
But soon, the reality is going to set in MOST LIKELY going to be Martin Brodeur's last game as a member of the New Jersey Devils.
In 2011, I bought season tickets to the Devils, up in the balcony on the end where the Hall of Fame goalie defends the goal twice every night. And the big reason I did it, aside from the great price, was that I wanted to see the end of Brodeur's career, however long it may be, in person. I'm not saying I'll drop my tickets after next season (I'm already paid in full for 2014-15), or after "Marty Brodeur Night" when the number 30 is raised to the rafters (initially over the goal on the end at which I sit). But after today, that might be the next time we in the arena get to chant "MAR-TY, MAR-TY". Still sad to think about.
But for today...
- (to the same beat as "Let's Go Devils") "Marty Legend"
- "Mar-ty! Mar-ty!"
- (to the tune of "We Love You Conrad" from Bye Bye Birdie) "We Love You Marty/Oh Yes We Do"
- (as noted in the title of this post) "You've Got to Fight For Your Right For Mar-ty"
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Draft Day Moves and the Secret Fantasy of Every Devils Fan
The Devils made a couple of moves at the NHL Draft this year to sure up their goaltending future hopefully for many years to come. They traded their first round pick (number 9 overall) to Vancouver for Goaltender Cory Schneider.
Here's how it looked on TSN:
I remember the booing of Bettman in that video being much much louder as well as the cheering for the trade.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Locking up The Franchise
Before commenting on Zach Parise, let me first write a post about "The Franchise", Martin Brodeur, and his free agency efforts.
Back on Sunday, before Brodeur had re-signed, I tweeted this in reply to @DownGoesAvery:
Martin Brodeur is the franchise for the New Jersey Devils. Ken Daneyko may be "Mr. Devil", but without Marty Brodeur in net, there are no 3 Stanley Cups and 5 Prince of Wales trophies. One can make the same point about Scott Stevens, and not to say that was proven untrue this past season with the Cup Finals appearance, but Martin Brodeur is the single most important Devils player. He's arguably the greatest goalie in NHL history (okay, he IS, and I'm not in the mood to have that argument now).
Do you know how much it would have hurt to see "The Franchise", a career Devil, put on another uniform (aside from the various All-Star Game and Team Canada jerseys)? It's unthinkable. To be with a club for 20 years (remember, he came up as a teenager and turned 40 during the playoffs this past season), to be the cornerstone of almost the entire amount of success of the 30 year old franchise, and to leave to finish your career (1 or 2 seasons) would completely tarnish his legacy.
I'm not going to begin to speculate WHY it went as far as Brodeur hiring an agent for the first time, or WHY it even went as far Brodeur crossing the July 1, 12 noon ET deadline to become an unrestricted free agent, but those things happened. And it would have been a disaster for Lou Lamoriello to allow Brodeur to sign elsewhere. News broke on Monday morning that Brodeur had re-signed for 2 years and $9 million. At this point in his career, with the legacy that he has with the club, Brodeur should be the one to decide when he's no longer the Devils goaltender, as long as he's no other team's goalie. We'll see in 2 years if that once again is the case.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
Back on Sunday, before Brodeur had re-signed, I tweeted this in reply to @DownGoesAvery:
@DownGoesAvery I actually think losing Brodeur will hurt the Devils legacy more than losing Parise will hurt their future.
— Jason Bornstein (@DyHrdMET) July 2, 2012
Martin Brodeur is the franchise for the New Jersey Devils. Ken Daneyko may be "Mr. Devil", but without Marty Brodeur in net, there are no 3 Stanley Cups and 5 Prince of Wales trophies. One can make the same point about Scott Stevens, and not to say that was proven untrue this past season with the Cup Finals appearance, but Martin Brodeur is the single most important Devils player. He's arguably the greatest goalie in NHL history (okay, he IS, and I'm not in the mood to have that argument now).
Do you know how much it would have hurt to see "The Franchise", a career Devil, put on another uniform (aside from the various All-Star Game and Team Canada jerseys)? It's unthinkable. To be with a club for 20 years (remember, he came up as a teenager and turned 40 during the playoffs this past season), to be the cornerstone of almost the entire amount of success of the 30 year old franchise, and to leave to finish your career (1 or 2 seasons) would completely tarnish his legacy.
I'm not going to begin to speculate WHY it went as far as Brodeur hiring an agent for the first time, or WHY it even went as far Brodeur crossing the July 1, 12 noon ET deadline to become an unrestricted free agent, but those things happened. And it would have been a disaster for Lou Lamoriello to allow Brodeur to sign elsewhere. News broke on Monday morning that Brodeur had re-signed for 2 years and $9 million. At this point in his career, with the legacy that he has with the club, Brodeur should be the one to decide when he's no longer the Devils goaltender, as long as he's no other team's goalie. We'll see in 2 years if that once again is the case.
Leave a comment or drop me a line at DyHrdMET [at] gmail [dot] com. Your comments will fall into a moderation queue.
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