In 2012, Devils legend Martin Brodeur backstopped his team to an unlikely run through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, knocking off the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers — as an underdog in each series — to reach the finals.
He was 40 years old.
In a recent interview on NJ Advance Media’s Ryan Novozinsky YouTube channel, “Speaking of the Devils,” Brodeur reflected on what allowed him to perform at an elite level late in his career during a time when goaltenders typically didn’t play deep into their 30s, let alone their 40s.
“It’s all about what you want to accomplish in life,” Brodeur told Novozinsky. “I wanted to win. I wanted to play. I knew my career was coming close to an end, and you don’t want to give that up.”
The Hall of Fame goaltender emphasized that constant adaptation was crucial throughout his career, particularly at a position that has seen significant stylistic evolution. And the way goalies are deployed have changed too; Brodeur routinely played 70 or more regular season games during his career. Last season, only five goalies across the league started more than 60 games, led by Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (63).
“I remember the way I played game one of my career to my last game, I’m a completely different goalie,” Brodeur explained. “I had to adjust year in year out to try to stay relevant in my career.”
Brodeur’s experience and perspective is valuable now — as a the executive vice president of hockey operations for the Devils — since the Devils have two goalies on the back half of their careers in Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen. Both are 35.
“These guys are highly competitive, and that’s the only way you could play a long time in your career,” he said. “Being competitive, it’s not an attribute that comes naturally. It’s something that you have in you.”
Brodeur added that health also plays a significant role in career longevity, noting, “If you’re able to be competitive and stay healthy, you could play a long time, especially with the talent that both these guys have.”
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