Appreciation, in turn, is what Marty has received from media types such as MSG Networks’ Devils play-by-play man Don La Greca.

“Brodeur was a money goalie,” says La Greca, who was a Devils fan long before he got into broadcasting. “He meant everything to me – and everything to the Devils.”

Where Marty stands in the Pantheon of outstanding goaltenders will forever be a moot point. But those who know him best – the ones who played beside Brodeur have no doubts about it.

“As far as I’m concerned,” asserts Mister Devil, Ken Daneyko, “Marty is the best goalie in the history of the game. And the numbers show that. Plus, he was consistent, durable and a leader. In the dressing room, if there was something that had to be said, Marty would say it.

“Add to that, he had a calmness to his game combined with the fact that it was just fun for him. It gave the rest of us confidence. We knew that we had a guy who had our backs; that nine times out of ten he’d bail us out.”

The Maven followed Brodeur’s career from his Day 1 as a big-leaguer right down to the finish. I have a catalogue of Marty saves in my head, not to mention the Stanley Cup victories in 1995 over Detroit, 2000 against Dallas and 2003 vs. Anaheim.

Without a doubt my personal favorite was the club’s 1995 Stanley Cup challenge. At the time New Jersey ranked among the lowest of all the NHL teams competing. It also was a time of general concern over the possibility that the franchise might move to Nashville.

“We all were worried,” said longtime fan Noam Kogen. “But watching Marty, I had the feeling that – on the ice – the team was in good hands. He also was effectively a third defenseman who got the puck out of his zone and out of danger, up the ice.”

Although the Garden Staters had to open each of the four 1995 series on the road, they reached the Stanley Cup Final round against the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings

One, two, three – just like that – the Devils stunned the hockey world with wins. And now Game 4 would be played in front of a capacity crowd at the Meadowlands Arena.

The decibel count rose as the Devils built a late third period lead which Marty was determined to hold. Here’s how he remembered that epic third period:

“The last 10 minutes to the last minute were like the longest nine minutes of my life. But from the last minute to zero was the greatest time I ever had. I didn’t want the clock to run out. I looked in the stands and saw people crying, jumping up and down cheering.”

Then, a pause:

“It was the best minute of my life!”