Martin Brodeur Returns to New Jersey
“This is my home. This is where I learned to play hockey, here, professionally… and it’s always going to be that.” – Martin Brodeur, April 13, 2014, Newark, New Jersey to Deb Placey (Photo: Sarah Jane).
This upcoming week will be chock full of Martin Brodeur in the New Jersey tri-state area. The winningest goaltender in NHL history, who retired in 2015 as a St. Louis Blues player had been with the New Jersey Devils for 21 years, which included winning three Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000, and 2003.
Brodeur, who now works in the Blues front office, dropped the ceremonial puck at the start of the 1 PM Saturday home game on February 6 between the Devils and Washington Capitals. It was also bobblehead night for currently injured Mike Cammalleri. And at 11 AM, prior to the game, the Devils and Brodeur hosted a private youth hockey clinic at the Devils’ practice facility in Prudential Center, where approximately 20 local skaters and goalies received instructions from Marty.
The weekend also helped launch the Denis Brodeur photography program and other miscellaneous youth hockey clinics.
On Sunday, February 7 he’ll be at Miami Mike’s Sports Zone from 10:30 AM – 12 PM in East Hanover, New Jersey doing a “Breakfast with Brodeur” event.
On Monday, February 8th, the Devils are (still!) selling tickets to “An Evening With Marty” in which his statue will be unveiled, in Newark. Doors open at 5:30 PM and there will be a Q&A session with Brodeur and a viewing party at Prudential Center of the Devils-Rangers game being played across the river in Madison Square Garden. Hearing his thoughts on the Rangers (even if he is still a NHL employee and perhaps can’t be as frank as he was in his autobiography, will be interesting).
And then the most important date on the Marty Brodeur Returns to Jersey tour, will be his jersey retirement ceremony on February 9th. which will begin at 6:15 p.m., with doors opening at 4:30. His Number 30 will join the 2 of Ken Daneyko, 3 of Scott Stevens and 27 of Scott Niedermayer in the rafters of the Prudential Center rafters [for those keeping score, technically only Nieds & Brodeur will be actually lifted in Newark, as the other two ceremonies happened in the Meadowlands in the Devils first arena]. All four players were involved in all three of the Stanley Cups and it will be interesting to see who the next Devil will be to have their jersey retired (Brylin? Elias?).
According to the Devils (and Ken Daneyko during every Devils telecast since he was told the times), they want the Devils fans to be in their seats at 6:15 PM as the ceremony will be hosted by former Devils announcer, and current national announcer, Mike “Doc” Emrick, and in addition to Marty’s family, it will also include appearances by Daneyko, Stevens, Neidermayer, Marty’s favorite former coaches Jacques Caron, Jacques Lemaire and Larry Robinson as well as the widow of Pat Burns. Even Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner, will be in attendance.
Oh and besides the banner rising and ceremony, the Devils’ will be playing against the Edmonton Oilers scheduled with an 8:08 PM start.
