Feels extra special to me without Mr scumbag He is still looking for work, waiting for the phone to ring like a hopeful rookie. Think about this: The last time the NHL season started without Martin Brodeur on a roster, it was during the Bush Administration. The George H. W. Bush Administration. But the Devils will open the season tonight in Philadelphia without No. 30 on the bench for the first time in two decades. Theyve moved on with Cory Schneider, who will have to be every bit as dominant as his predecessor once was for this franchise to avoid a third straight season without a playoff berth. Brodeur? He hasnt moved on, and that feels a bit sad. He spoke to reporters in Gatineau, Quebec, this week, where he was training with his son, Anthony, and waiting for a general manager to call with an offer that, so far, has not come. He talked about writing a different ending to his career than the one he had last season, where he split time with Schneider, dealt with trade rumors and, ultimately, saw the old and brittle Devils miss the playoffs again. “I’d love to be on a competitive team, that’s for sure,” Brodeur said. “If I’m not going to play a lot I’d like to have a chance to win every time I jump between the pipes. There are places I really don’t want to go, but there are other places I wouldn’t mind going. There will be a couple nice fits out there if it happens.” Brodeur has every right to chase his own ending. The problem is, few athletes – even the great ones – get to write a perfect one. Even Derek Jeter, whose career mirrored Brodeurs from across the Hudson River, might have had that game-winning RBI in his final Yankee Stadium moment, but it came in a meaningless game. He is 42 with 688 victories – no one else in hockey history has cracked 600, much less 700 – and those three championships. He doesnt need to play another minute of hockey to secure his legacy, but the drive is still there. I often get asked which big-name athlete Ive enjoyed covering the most over the years, and Ill always say Brodeur. He was accessible, introspective and always interesting. He didnt take himself too seriously. And now, a hockey season for the first time in a long time will begin without him – and, unless that phone rings, maybe end that way, too. The Devils have moved on, but the greatest goaltender ever is still looking for work. That still feels … weird.
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 17:29:11 +0000
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