Special Woo Report: Brodeur to be honored by the state of New Jersey today
From the advice of his scouting staff, Lou Lamoriello traded down to the 20th overall pick in 1990 NHL Amateur Draft and he selected Martin Brodeur. Little did Devils fans know that history was being made and no one could have predicted the impact this French Canadian kid could make on the sport and the state of New Jersey. Today, it will be declared “Martin Brodeur Day” by the New Jersey State Senate.
Without Brodeur, New Jersey may have never had the joy of hoisting the Stanley Cup three times. Who knows? Maybe the Devils would have left for another city. We’ll never know. After sweeping the heavily favored Red Wings in 1995, it put New Jersey on the sports map and it was beginning of an era that the Devils would intimidate their opponents. Through it all, Brodeur has impacted New Jersey youth hockey and it is common to see kids wearing number “30” with his signature goalie mask.
Brodeur is a physical freak of nature when it comes to goaltenders. His 6’2” frame is more than generous to cover the net and he is very agile. Would he play stand up or go into the butterfly position to make a save? Opposing forwards would have to guess and his glove hand was always quick to snap the puck out of the air if he needed it. Oh yeah. No one can play the puck better than Brodeur and for that reason, there is a trapezoid behind every NHL goal line. Best of all, his calming personality during rough stretches of a game and competitive spirit always made his teammates better.
Today, Devils fans will gather at the Prudential Center, which sometimes I tell people that it is the “House That Marty Built”. The Devils organization is sponsoring a train trip to Trenton to witness Brodeur be honored by the Garden State. Brodeur is New Jersey’s adopted son and the greatest goaltender of all time.
Woo Story of the Day: Behind the Pads
I’ve read all over the internet in the past few years about hockey fans commenting about the goalie pads I would wear to the games. Some like it and others think it is so stupid. Not many people know the true story of how it all started and why I do it. Sometimes I wonder why I do it but in the end, I just tell people that I am a Devils fan and want to support my team no matter what happens, win or lose.
Growing up as a New Jersey Devils fan before 1995 was real tough. Being surrounded by the New York Rangers, Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Hartford Whalers was not an easy task for the hardcore Devils fan. To this day, I still remember the battle lines drawn at school during the playoffs and the disappointment . I still have my old yearbooks to prove it. Back then, I was a real pessimistic fan.
Going to the games was like going to work and I usually sat quietly in my seat. In hindsight, the intensity and focus on the game made me forget why I love hockey so much. But that all changed in 2000 when the Devils were down 3-1 to the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
My best friend and I left Game 4 with our heads down. Flyers fans were cheering loudly as if they had won the Cup and I honestly thought the series was over. My friend pulled me aside and we started talking about a comeback to win the series. He was so positive about coming back. The odds were against the Devils and just thought there is no way they can pull it off. Then it came.
“The bet.”
Now let me remind you that back then, I was the most negative and intense Devils fan that walked into the arena. So I told my friend that if the Devils actually came back and beat the Flyers to the Finals and then go onto win the Cup, I’ll dress up like Marty on opening night the next season. I was being sarcastic, yet serious at the same time. I bet against my own team. Martin Brodeur and his teammates helped prove me wrong and went out to win the Cup.
Uh oh!
Goalie pads are expensive, but for some odd reason, I was determined to make good on my bet. I could have taken the easy way out and not do it. But that is not me. I figured that if I wear it once, I could probably resell it for what I paid for it. After all, the guy from Canada that sold me the pads and helmet laughed so hard over the phone when I told him why I was purchasing that he sold it to me at cost plus shipping. I was already set to go and then came Opening Night.
I’ll admit. I was nervous but after having quite a few Molsons while tailgating in the parking lot, I was ready to put the pads on. I did and fans were laughing and others were stunned. It was really funny and getting through CAA security was a real task.
As I was standing at my seats, for the first time, I was having fun being at the game and not worrying the score. Sure, I felt like an idiot but I didn’t care. I was going to cheer for my team and the reaction was priceless. I never had any intention of ever wearing the goalie pads again after that night. But in the end, it seem like it has taken on a life of its own after making appearances inside MSG, NBC’s Today Show, Fox Business News, and even a story written about it in the Sunday edition of the New York Times.
Marty will be honored today and let it be known that he is the greatest goaltender of all time. I’ll be letting the NJ politicians know how much we love our New Jersey Devils.
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