Athlete Bios
Hockey
Goalie Brodeur key to Canadian hockey glory
Last Updated: Monday, February 8, 2010 | 2:49 PM ET
New York Times for CBC Sports
Martin Brodeur will look to lead Canada to gold in Vancouver, in his fourth appearance at the Winter Olympics. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)Martin Brodeur, the National Hockey League’s career leader in regular-season victories by a goaltender, shows few signs of letting up his assault on hockey's record books at age 37.
Brodeur has played his entire 15-year career for the New Jersey Devils, winning three Stanley Cup titles and countless league awards, including four Vezina Trophies as the top goaltender. On March 14, 2009, he surpassed his childhood idol, Patrick Roy, on the career list for victories with 551. He is the only goaltender to win 40 or more games seven times and is known as one of the most durable players in the league. Last season, when he sustained a torn biceps tendon and missed 16 weeks, was the first time he had missed a significant portion of a season because of an injury.
Brodeur discussed his success on the night in early December 2009 when he tied Terry Sawchuk for most career shutouts with 103.
“I think it’s paying attention to details in the game,” Brodeur said. “I work really hard to do the right things to be ready for a game mentally and physically. I don’t take anything for granted. I don’t think I’m better than anybody. When I go out there, I just play as hard as I can and do the best I can. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Brodeur grew up in Montreal. His father, Denis, was an outstanding goaltender, winning a bronze medal with Canada’s team in the 1956 Olympics, and later worked as the Montreal Canadiens' team photographer. Martin Brodeur grew up idolizing the Canadiens, particularly Roy, who once gave him an autographed stick. The two were not friendly as NHL rivals, however, with Brodeur expressing resentment that Roy demanded to start every game for Canada when they were Olympic teammates in 1998.
The Devils selected Brodeur with the 20th pick in the first round of the 1990 draft. He made his NHL debut in 1992, a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, but did not become the Devils starter until the 1993-94 season, when he won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year.
In addition to his NHL success, which included Stanley Cup titles in 1995, 2000 and 2003, he went on to star for Canada in the 2002 Olympics, winning a gold medal. He will continue to play for Canada even though he now has dual citizenship, having passed his United States citizenship exam in early December.
Brodeur’s private life became public during the 2003 playoffs, when his wife, Melanie, filed for divorce and accused him of an affair with her sister-in-law, Genevieve Nault. Brodeur and Nault married in 2008 and now have a son. Brodeur has four children by his first marriage.
