Brodeur during his induction speech echoed the same sentiments.
“My greatest achievements happened here in New Jersey,” he said.
For Brodeur, this honor isn’t just about celebrating his hockey accomplishments; it’s about acknowledging how New Jersey becomes part of you when you choose to make this state your home, or, in Brodeur’s case, the state picks you. Since arriving in 1992, he has continued to live here, and being able to remain a part of the Devils organization is, to him, the ultimate privilege.
“I was blessed to start my family here,” he said. “I want to thank the Devils organization for believing in me and keeping me around for so long. I’ve been around for 23 years and it’s still going in the front office. For that I want to thank Dr. Dave McMullen, Lou Lamoriello, David Blitzer, Josh Harris and Tom Fitzgerald.”
That connection, to the place, to the people, to the community that embraced him, is what Brodeur kept returning to throughout the night. His induction wasn’t only a reflection of what he accomplished on the ice, but of the life he built here and the gratitude he feels for the state that became his home.
“New Jersey is a great place to live with even better people,” he said from the podium, “I was fortunate to make lifetime friends through the years, people from different background come to New Jersey and that’s what makes it so special. Thank you, New Jersey, you changed my life.”