Brodeur Gives Up Glove, Joins Blues Front Office

Today the St. Louis Blues announced that Martin Brodeur would stay with the club in an official capacity and transition from a role on the roster to a role in the front office.

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The St. Louis Blues had picked up Brodeur and given him a one-year contract in early December, when first-string goalie Brian Elliott suffered a knee injury and was predicted to be out for the standard four to six weeks. That left second-string goalie Jake Allen as the starting goalie, and Brodeur as his back-up.

However when Elliott returned to play early in January, Brodeur returned to the position of third-string goalie despite a 3-3-0 record and one shutout over seven games.

Two weeks ago Brodeur requested a leave of absence from the Blues to visit family and contemplate his future with the club. It was unexpected, to say the least. Fans were confused and surprised, but none so much as Blues players and coaching staff.

We’ve been waiting for weeks to hear what Martin Brodeur’s decision would be regarding his future with the Blues, and in the NHL overall.

We even polled our readers on Facebook, Twitter, and on Bleedin’ Blue, and learned that most thought Brodeur would at least finish out the year in goalie gear, it being too hard to hang up the pads.

A week later, the Blues announced Brodeur had extended his leave of absence from the team by an additional week, a decision which seemed perfectly intelligent in light of the break from the regular season due to the NHL All-Star game in Columbus, Ohio.

That two weeks went relatively quickly, and with it, Brodeur’s place on the roster. Today, the Blues announced that Brodeur had decided to stay with the club, but will no longer dress for games. At least, in his pads.

Dec 4, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Martin Brodeur (30) skates during warmups prior to the game against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports,

"The Blues will hold a news conference Thursday to officially announce the retirement, but team president and general manager Doug Armstrong said Tuesday that Brodeur will stay with the organization in a management role."

We certainly are going to miss seeing Marty’s stoic face on the bench, or squeezed into a corner in full gear. But transitioning to a front-office role makes the most sense for his a career.

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He has a wealth of knowledge and can back it up as the all-time winningest goalie in the NHL, as well as the goalie who has played the most games in the NHL, with Roy coming in at no. 2. While he is sure to miss the view from the net, his playing time was down to almost nothing.

Brodeur has an opportunity to be active on the team again, share his knowledge and mentor younger players with this new role.

He brings a maturity to the team full of talented players, many of whom are still growing into themselves and their skills and who will benefit from his experiences, be they good or bad.

He might miss the view from the net, but the view from the bench can be a good one, too.

Next: What About The Blues Defense?