Martin Brodeur is a giant in the world of hockey. Every time he
steps on the ice as the goaltender of the New Jersey devils, he
either sets a new record or edges ever closer to some of the most
prestigious netminding records in the history of the sport. Since
the day in March 1992 when he was summoned from junior hockey to
make his NHL debut, he has been about winning and defining how the
position is played.
A three-time Stanley cup champion, he is the only goalie in NHL
history with 10 seasons of 30 wins or more, and in 2006 he set a
new mark for consecutive playoff starts by an NHL goalie.
The numbers speak for themselves, but what they cannot express
is that Martin Brodeur is at the very heart and soul of the devils,
and one of the team''s greatest leaders. On the world stage,
Brodeur traced his father''s steps to the Olympics, and, when
Canada finally ended a 50-year gold medal drought at the 2002
Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, it was Brodeur who stood tall in
the crease.
In Brodeur: beyond the Crease, the game''s best netminder takes
a candid, personal look at his career, his sport and his journey to
the apex of the modern game. He shares the rich hockey heritage of
his family, and reveals what it''s like to be a goalie in the
''new'' NHL that emerged from the nearly disastrous lockout of
2004-05. He talks about being an integral part of the evolution of
the New Jersey devils, once mocked as "a Mickey Mouse
organization," into one of the game''s most successful franchises,
and about his unique relationship with Lou Lamoriello, the
architect of the Devils'' championship teams.
Brodeur also traces the highs and lows of Olympic competition;
how he prepares for game day; the best NHL shooters he''s ever
faced and what it was like to score a goal himself in a Staley Cup
playoff game. He reveals his thoughts and insights on being a
Canadian and a Quebecer playing and living in the US; life as a
father of four under the harsh spotlight of celebrity; his love of
motorcycles and why, in the complicated and high-stakes world of
pro sports dominated by accountants and agents, he chooses to stand
alone and represent himself at contract time.
Brodeur: Beyond the Crease is a rare opportunity to understand
the sport of hockey through the eyes of one of the game''s most
insightful athletes at the height of his abilities. With
award-winning sports journalist Damien Cox, the top goalie in
hockey takes us inside the game and beyond.