Follow me on twitter @RandallRitchey Martin Brodeur wasn't ready to hang up the skates this summer, so he stuck around, practicing with his son, Anthony Brodeur, and his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team, the Gatineau Olympiques.
When Brian Elliott went down with a knee injury, Brodeur quickly became a member of the St. Louis Blues. Brodeur played seven games with the St. Louis Blues, posting a 3-3-0 record, with a 2.87 goals against average and a .899 save percentage. That also included a shutout victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
Chris Johnston (@ReporterChris), a Sportsnet insider, was the first to report that Martin Brodeur would announce his retirement and join the Blues front office staff.
BREAKING: Martin Brodeur is retiring to join the #stlblues front office: http://t.co/Jn1oP1athb
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 27, 2015Renaud Lavoie (@Renlavoietva), a reporter for TVA Sports in Canada, announced that not only would Brodeur be joining the front office, he would be named assistant general manager.
Martin Brodeur is retiring fromm hockey. Should be name assistant GM of the St-Louis Blues. #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) January 27, 2015Now why would Brodeur decide to join the Blues front office, when almost everyone speculated that once Brodeur retired, he would be handed a management role with the New Jersey Devils, the team he spent parts of 21 seasons with.
Well, there is one thing that might keep him in St. Louis. What happens with Elliott or Allen gets hurt? Brodeur, who's cap hit will stay on the Blues salary cap the rest of the season, is already here, already has gear, and has a jersey with his name on it. Not a certainty, but it's a possibility.
He also felt like a member of a team again, and a team that wanted him. He didn't exactly have that in his last few seasons in New Jersey. At least not from the fans perspective. Many felt he was dragging the team down, and they were ready to hand the reigns to Cory Schneider. Which is understandable. But Marty was the Devils for a very long time. He will be a first ballot hall-of-famer, and he'll go down as one of the best goaltenders in NHL history.
In St. Louis, many wanted to see him reach that 700 wins mark, but after Elliott came back, and with Allen regaining his confidence, there just wasn't room for Marty to play. Now, with him sticking around St. Louis, if the Blues need a goalie for any reason, Marty is here.
Now many said that Broduer was ruining his legacy by not retiring with the Devils, and by playing for another team all together. Yet you can look at the numbers, they speak for themselves. He's holds the record for most wins in NHL history. The man has earn his right to go out in his own way. The fans might not like it, but the fans don't have the right to make a call about another plays life. He gets to decide his own fate, and he wanted to continue playing. He didn't reach 700 wins, but he wanted to show that he could still compete. A .500 record, a shutout, and a respectable goals against proved that he could. Not as one of the best, be he proved he could still be an NHL goaltender.
Now he'll learn the ropes of management from Doug Armstrong, and he joins a hall of fame cast. Al MacInnis and Brett Hull also hold management positions with the Blues as well.
Rumors are that Brodeur will be joining the Devils front office next season, but will remain with the Blues this season because of the camaraderie he gained with the Blues this season.
Personally, I think Brodeur would make a fine goalie coach. Every player who's played with him always comment about how much they have learned from him. I think any goalie would benefit being taught by Martin Brodeur, and I'm sure most would enjoy having a hall of fame guy teaching them the ropes.
If Martin Brodeur leaves next season for the Devils, most shouldn't be surprised. Everyone will remember him as a Devil. Fifteen years from now, no one will be talking about Brodeur's seven game stop with the Blues, except for maybe Blues fans.
I grew up a fan, and now that I cover the Blues, seeing a guy who had the career that Brodeur had, want to come to St. Louis, and want to stay, even for a year, it's gift. There will never be another Martin Brodeur. Ever. So I hope you enjoyed watching a legend dawn a Blues jersey, and for Devils fans, you'll soon see #30 in the rafters, and there has never been another Devil to deserve it as much as Marty has.