Martin Brodeur: Best In Metro-Area Hockey History

Martin Brodeur is the greatest hockey player to ever take the ice in the history of hockey in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.

He’s better than Eddie Giacomin and he’s better than Denis Potvin. He’s better than Mike Bossy and he’s better than Billy Smith. He’s better than Mark Messier and Scott Stevens.

Martin Brodeur might even be the most under-appreciated athlete EVER, let alone in New York sports history.

Playing in the relative obscurity of New Jersey always seemed to render Brodeur’s accomplishments second-rate. But now that he’s tied Patrick Roy for the all-time wins mark as a goalie, it’s time we took notice.

I suppose you can look at Brodeur’s anonymity in a different way…Perhaps Marty benefited from playing outside the scrutiny of Madison Square Garden, or to a lesser extent, the shadow of the Islanders’ dynasty.

The Devils have made a habit of winning quietly, seemingly always contending for a title while the Rangers and Islanders fortunes fluctuate constantly.

Can you think of a team that’s won as consistently as the Devils and has done so with such little fanfare? Teams like the Utah Jazz and Oakland A’s come to mind.

But at least the Jazz had Stockton and Malone and Oakland’s method of winning on the cheap has been analyzed to death. I think the Devils are truly unique given the amount of success they’ve had as a franchise, and the lack of respect they get in return.

And it all comes back to Brodeur. Drafted by the Devils in 1990, he was rookie of the year in 1994 and is a 10-time all star. Also, as Brodeur has gotten older, he’s gotten better. Of the last five Vezina Trophies awarded in the NHL, Brodeur has won four of them.

But Brodeur simply doesn’t get the pub. His recent run at the wins record aside, Henrik Lundqvist and Rick DiPietro have far exceeded Brodeur in media coverage in recent seasons.

That lack of recognition has caused many to overlook Brodeur for the legend that he is. You could even argue that Brodeur is the single greatest New York athlete playing RIGHT NOW. Derek Jeter has four rings?? Brodeur has three and plenty more individual awards than the short stop. Alex Rodriguez? Please. Eli Manning doesn’t stand a chance either. It’s Brodeur all the way.

When all is said and done, Brodeur should not only be considered the greatest hockey player in New York/New Jersey history, but also one of our top 10 finest athletes.

But given how this area has ignored him for much of his career, I fear that won’t be the case. And it’s a shame.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle