Marty Brodeur leaving Blues front office to join Devils
The St. Louis Blues made official Tuesday what has been heavily speculated and reported the past few days: Marty Brodeur is going home.
That news was confirmed by the team on Wednesday, as Brodeur was named New Jersey’s new executive VP of business development.
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Welcome home, @MartinBrodeur! The 🐐 has been named the #NJDevils Executive VP of Business Development. https://t.co/7gFwf7LTow
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) August 29, 2018
Brodeur has spent each of his first three post-retirement seasons as the Blues’ assistant general manager. Fox Sports Blues reporter Andy Strickland noted that though Brodeur’s position with the Devils will be business focused, at least to start, New Jersey could develop the franchise legend for a senior hockey operations or upper management role on the hockey side.
Martin Brodeur told me several weeks ago he will keep his family in St. Louis as he takes on new role with #NJdevils. Role with New Jersey to be more focused on the biz side than the Hockey side.
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) August 28, 2018
Could groom Brodeur to eventually become a team President with the #njdevils or with a diff organization down the road
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) August 28, 2018
“I want to thank Tom Stillman, Doug Armstrong, Chris Zimmerman and the Blues organization for giving me the opportunity to continue my playing career and begin my career off the ice in hockey operations,” said Brodeur in a statement released by the Blues Tuesday.
“I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career.”
For now, at least, that next chapter will include joining a crowded hockey operations department in New Jersey which currently boasts Ray Shero, Tom Fitzgerald, Dan MacKinnon and Chuck Fletcher all in high-level positions — a good indication as to why Brodeur is starting his journey in the organization’s front office focused on the business side of things.
In due time, however, it’s easy to picture one of the greatest (and most cerebral and calm) goaltenders to ever play the game making waves in hockey ops and joining the ranks of Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and the like who have all made a seamless transition from Hall of Fame players to top-flight executives.
Over his illustrious career, Brodeur became the NHL’s all-time leaders in games played, wins, and shutouts, while winning three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, and earning seven all-star nods.
The Devils’ 20th overall pick in the 1990 draft was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame this past June.
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