Brodeur Named Blues Assistant General Manager
By Kate Cimini
The St. Louis Blues officially announced in a press conference with Martin Brodeur today at 10:30 that he would take on the role of special assistant to the General Manager with the Blues front office.
I won’t be taking shots to the head anymore…that’s the positive of it.
Brodeur was brought on in the first week of December to play backup goalie to second-stringer, Jake Allen, when first-line goalie Brian Elliott went down with a knee injury.
Brodeur won his 691st game with the St. Louis Blues, and earned one shutout with them in the seven games he played in.
Dec 13, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Martin Brodeur (30) before the start of the game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Brodeur addressed all this during the press conference, sticking to the company line and joking around with reporters. He has made plans to finish out his year-long contract with St. Louis, but would not say whether or not he had made plans to stay in St. Louis’ front office for the next few years, or if he was looking elsewhere (or specifically New Jersey). He was cautious about even the position, saying,
"For me it’s all about learning. I’ve been on the players’ side for so long and I know that side pretty well. The management part is sth I’m going to learn. For my first year outside of hockey [the challenge is] to see if I’m going to flourish and really like this.I’m going to stay here through the end of the season. There’s no commitment one way or the other that I’ll go back to New Jersey or stay in St. Louis."
Brodeur came to St. Louis with the intention to gain what he termed “closure,” as a goalie and a player in the NHL. He was unable to find a team to sign him once he and the New Jersey Devils parted ways despite already being named the winningest goalie in the NHL. Brodeur played 22 years with the New Jersey Devils.
Apr 13, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur (30) is honored by fans after his 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Brodeur told reporters “I’m leaving the game with a big smile on my face. I don’t think if I had done that last year it would have been the case.”
And a big smile he had indeed, joking with media about his winning record and the endless politics the NHL gets itself caught up in. “Eh, 691 [wins], it’s not too bad,” Brodeur smiled, “700 would have been nice, but all these lockouts killed me.”
Brodeur requested a leave of absence two weeks ago from the Blues in order to visit family, clear his head, and think about his future with the club. Retirement was speculated upon by the media, but Brodeur and the front office staff were close-lipped. While the players and coach Ken Hitchcock expressed an interest in keeping Brodeur on, specifically alluding to his vast amounts of knowledge, the possibility of a front-office job was floated around.
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He told media that he ended up making his decision to retire based on the lineup, and the opportunities available.
"[I decided to retire] because of the goalie situation. We had a lot of discussion about what was going to happen in the future and they were going to go w the two goalies and wanted me to stay around. I felt in the way a little bit.It was difficult for me to practice and not get run over by the line rushes.I decided let’s take a step back and think a little bit and they gave me that space. This is a great opportunity to start something new and I’m really excited."
Brodeur’s outlook was on the bright side during the press conference. “I won’t be taking shots to the head anymore…that’s the positive of it.”