Martin Brodeur officially retires, named Blues senior advisor to general manager
Martin Brodeur's playing days are officially over.
The legendary goaltender - who played all but seven of his 1,266 career games with the New Jersey Devils - announced his retirement from professional hockey on Thursday and has been named the St. Louis Blues senior advisor to the general manager, as first reported by Pierre Lebrun of ESPN.
Blues GM Doug Armstrong introduced Brodeur at a press conference on Thursday, saying the now-retired goalie will travel with the team on a daily basis in order to keep a close eye on the players and help in the evaluation process.
"This is a great day for me," Brodeur said. "I’m excited to start a new chapter in my hockey career. It’s something I’ve been thinking about. (The new role) is something that is going to be as close to being a player. This is going to be a great challenge for me."
He added there weren't many playing opportunities presented to him as a free agent this past summer, qualifying that by saying he was selective in terms of which teams he was willing to suit up for.
After having a chance to extend his career with the Blues when Brian Elliott suffered an early-season injury, he feels more satisfied than if the door had been closed upon the expiry of his previous contract with the Devils.
Brodeur: "I'm leaving the game with a big smile on my face & I don't think if I would have done that last year that would've been the case.”
— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) January 29, 2015
He also stated he has no official plans for the future beyond this season.
Brodeur: "(Aside from staying until the end of the season) there's no commitment to either St. Louis or New Jersey." #Blues #Devils
— Mike Zeisberger (@Zeisberger) January 29, 2015
"I want to make sure I help the (Blues)," he said. "I'm here to help, I'm here to learn and I'm excited about it."
Brodeur, however, maintained he has stayed in contact with Devils GM Lou Lamoriello throughout this entire process, they continue to have a strong relationship and are on the same page.
In regards to falling short of career win No. 700, Brodeur launched the following parting shot:
Brodeur, on not getting to 700 wins: "Yeah, 691. It's not too bad." Also said: "It's all these lockouts. I got killed on it."
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) January 29, 2015
In short, Brodeur appeared thankful for having been able to hit the ice again in St. Louis, and decided to remain with the club for the time being as a result of the hand extended to him by Armstrong.
What this means for the future of his relationship with the Devils and for his legacy within the game remains to be seen.
Brodeur steps away as the NHL's all-time leader in games played as a goaltender (1,266), wins (691) and shutouts (125). There's no doubt he'll be remembered as a Devil, with whom he won three Stanley Cups, the Calder Trophy and four Vezina Trophies.