Martin Brodeur is not just the greatest New Jersey Devil of all-time; he can stake a claim as one of the greatest Goalies ever.
Brodeur was a First Round Pick in 1990, and after playing a few seasons in the minors, he was named the Calder Trophy winner for the 1993-94 Season. The Devils built their team from the Goalie out, playing a defensive game style that Brodeur was the perfect anchor for.
Playing with the New Jersey Devils until 2014, Brodeur accomplished more than any other Goalie in his era and the generation before and after. With the Devils, Brodeur backstopped New Jersey to five Eastern Conference Titles with his team winning the Stanley Cup three times.
In terms of individual accomplishments, it is staggering just what he has in his trophy case. In addition to his Calder, Montreal's native won the Vezina Trophy four times (2003, 2004, 2007 & 2008), was the runner-up for this accolade three other times, and was in the top ten different times. Brodeur was a three-time First Team All-Star, four-time Second Team All-Star, and was a winner or co-winner of the William M. Jennings Award five times, which ties him for the most wins. On nine occasions, he led the NHL in Wins, was a five-time leader in Shutouts, and once topped the list in Goals Against Average.
He was an innovator between the pipes. Brodeur was such an exemplary puck handler that the NHL altered the rules so that Goalies could handle the puck…A.K.A., the "Brodeur Rule."
A ten-time All-Star Game participant, Brodeur left the game (after seven as a St. Louis Blue) as the all-time NHL leader in Games Played by a Goalie (1,266), Wins (691), Saves (28,928), Shutouts (125), and is second in Goalie Point Shares (207.0). Brodeur was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, two years after the Devils retired his no.30 to the rafters.
Will we ever see anyone top Brodeur on this list? Not in our lifetime!
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