Opinion: It’s Time For Martin Brodeur to Make A Graceful NHL Exit

In the world of professional sport, perhaps the saddest thing a fan, critic or pundit can witness is the slow and embarrassing decline of a superstar player. You know the type, a guy who has won multiple championships, a long list of personal awards, has set all sorts of records – many of which will likely never be touched – and has earned the respect of his peers, but hangs around a season or two too many, tarnishing his reputation.

In the National Hockey League, that guy is Martin Brodeur. The long-time net-minder for the New Jersey Devils has won three Stanley Cup championships, and has made the playoffs in all but three of his twenty-one seasons on the Jersey side of the Hudson River. On top of that, he’s twice won Olympic gold medals with Canada, in Salt Lake City 2002 and Vancouver 2010.

There’s no doubt that Brodeur is a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Fame candidate. He’ll walk into Toronto as soon as he is eligible, thanks to eye-popping numbers that have made him the rock of the New Jersey Devils franchise. That team may never see such prosperity again, and arguably may not have won their three Stanley Cup rings had it not been for Brodeur’s presence in net.

Delve deeper into the numbers and you see what I mean: Brodeur is the NHL's all-time leader in regular season wins, losses, shutouts, and games played. He’s won at least 30 games in all but three seasons since 1995–96, and remains the only goalie in NHL history with eight 40-win seasons. He’s won the Vezina Trophy, the award for most outstanding goalie, four times, has been elected an NHL All-Star ten times, and lays claim to being one of only two NHL goaltenders to score a goal in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Yet, Brodeur is aging. He hasn’t been the same goaltender over the last couple of years, and his numbers reflect that. It’s been hard for Devils fans to see their franchise’s greatest player play back-up to young star Corey Schneider this year, and Brodeur has made noises about not being happy either. Rumour has it that he wanted to be traded at the deadline this year, but there were no takers.

Whispers around the NHL suggested that Brodeur was likely out the door. New Jersey has Schneider, still developing, and almost certain to blossom into a superstar of the League, and played Brodeur only sparingly this year, once in the Yankee Stadium outdoor game as a tip of the hat to his service, and at other times when Schneider needed a rest, but it seems fairly obvious that the Devils, as tough as the decision certainly had to have been, have moved on. So, too, should Brodeur.

Here is Martin’s fork in the road. See, he wants to keep playing, and believes that he still has what it takes to be a starting goalie someplace in the National Hockey League. In that, Brodeur appears to be alone. Had a General Manager somewhere been of the same opinion as Marty, he would likely not still be a New Jersey Devil, but be playing somewhere else. The fact that Brodeur was passed over at the trade deadline, a popular time for wheeling and dealing goalies, speaks volumes.

Apparently not to Brodeur, though, who announced today that he would enter the free agency market when it opens on July One. It’s a move that will have NHL scribes shaking their heads, because the writing is on the wall. The personnel managers around the League have delivered a message. Their silence is deafening: they don’t believe that Brodeur has what it takes to be a starter anymore.

The chances of any team taking a punt on Brodeur are incredibly slim. He turned 42 last month, and though he’s said all the right things about the Devils being set with Schneider, you have to think this hurts. Looking at it pragmatically, a 42-year-old goalie is not likely to be a starter. Even as a second-stringer, there’s no telling how much action Brodeur would see. He might pick up another Cup championship as a backup, but is that what he really wants? Knowing what sort of a competitor Brodeur is, No, probably not

There is an opportunity here for Brodeur to retire. Bowing out now means a graceful and timely separation, and you would have to imagine there are post-hockey media and ambassadorial roles aplenty for him.

Dipping his toe into the free agency market isn’t going to end well. At best, Brodeur ends up on a bad team and sees his career numbers dip. Or he’s a backup somewhere, languishing on the bench most nights. No one wants to see that. If Martin retires now, his legacy with the Devils is assured. He has the distinction of being a one-team player, and one who will never be forgotten. The Devils can – and certainly will – retire his number, and Brodeur will forever be remembered as a legend in New Jersey, as he should be, for all his accomplishments.

Going off to play another season or two with another team cheapens that legacy. These sorts of arrangements never seem to work – and in this case, it would be a little embarrassing to see an old guy trying to keep up, when his numbers say he can’t . As the old saying goes, you’ve gotta know when to hold and when to fold, and now is the time for Martin Brodeur to fold. He’s had a wonderful career, full of record-breaking moments. Seeing him trot out with another team, particularly as a backup, chips away at what he’s built in New Jersey.

It’s been a great career, Martin – as much as I’ve hated seeing you beat the Rangers so often. The time to end it is now, with a great legacy to look back on and to treasure.