Brodeur's son celebrates Dad's legacy in game

NEWARK, N.J. -- Anthony Brodeur expects his father, Martin Brodeur, to be more nervous than he ever was during his playing days when he steps to the microphone to acknowledge the capacity crowd during his jersey retirement ceremony at Prudential Center on Tuesday.
But when the butterflies kick in, it won't be long before Martin Brodeur is again gaining that confidence after hearing those familiar chants of "Marty! Marty!" that were a fairly common occurrence during his 20-plus seasons with the New Jersey Devils.

"He's always been pretty good at talking to the media and all that stuff so he should be fine," Anthony said. "It will definitely be cool to see the appreciation from all of the Devils fans, though. I'm really looking forward to that."
Anthony and his two brothers, one sister and step-brother plan on being in attendance to watch their father become the fourth Devils player to have his number retired. Martin Brodeur joins defensemen Scott Stevens (No. 4 retired Feb. 3, 2006), Ken Daneyko (No. 3 on March 24, 2006), and Scott Niedermayer (No. 27 on Dec. 16, 2011), all fellow three-time Stanley Cup champions in New Jersey.
"I'm sure [his speech] will get pretty emotional," Anthony Brodeur, 21, said. "Playing for the same team for 20-plus years comes with a lot of memories so I'm sure he'll have a lot of good stories.
"I miss watching him play for sure."
A love for the game is certainly something Martin Brodeur felt as a member of the Devils.

Brodeur led the NHL in wins nine times, and finished in the top five on five other occasions. The seven-time All-Star and four-time Vezina Trophy winner holds NHL goaltending records for wins (691), shutouts (125), games played (1,266) and minutes played (74,439). He also won 40 or more games eight times in his career. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Brodeur ranks first in shutouts (24) and second in wins (113).
Anthony Brodeur was asked what record set by his dad impressed him most.
"That's a tough one but I'd have to say wins," he said. "Hockey is a team sport and wins are the ultimate stat, so I think him having over 100 wins more than the next goalie (Patrick Roy, 551 wins) is amazing. It just shows how dominant he was for an extended period of time. The shutout record will definitely be tough to beat too."
Anthony Brodeur felt it was impossible to choose just one significant memory of his father. Martin Brodeur helped the Devils to three Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003.
"The 2003 Stanley Cup win, the 2012 Stanley Cup run and all of those memorable Winter Olympic appearances, specifically 2006 and 2010," Brodeur said. "That entire Stanley Cup series against the Los Angeles Kings (in 2012) was one I really remember vividly since I was able to go to every game but the last one and it was a super cool experience.
"I was older in 2012 so I obviously understood a lot more. I've been to a lot of Devils games in my life so it's tough to pick out any one single game."
While there was never a dull moment in the Brodeur household, Anthony is grateful his dad always used his spare time to be with him and his siblings.
"Dad was a pretty good mix of having some fun and being serious," he said. "He was cool and would love to play some hockey with us or play around with us when we were younger, but also did enough to make sure we were being raised the right way. Teaching us how to become good and respectable adults."
Why did Anthony decide to follow in dad's footsteps as a goalie, knowing he would be a tough act to follow?
"I think it was just natural," he said. "Growing up, it's all I ever really saw and once I strapped on the pads for myself, I just really loved it."
Anthony Brodeur is currently writing his own success story in first season with the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League. He leads all goaltenders in the BCHL in wins (24), goals-against average (1.99) and save percentage (.934) in 28 games. He wears the same No. 30 his dad wore in New Jersey.
"It's a pretty cool coincidence if you ask me that I'm playing well in the season the Devils are retiring dad's number," he said. "I don't think it has anything to do with each other. It's cool to see him doing his thing as assistant general manager with the St. Louis Blues, though."
The Devils selected Anthony Brodeur in the seventh round (No. 208) of the 2013 NHL Draft at Prudential Center. Martin Brodeur actually made the pick. Lou Lamoriello, who was Devils general manager at the time, informed Martin of the team's decision to draft Anthony and requested he make the pick.
The Devils did not sign Anthony prior to June 1, 2015, however, and he was once again eligible to be drafted in the 2015 draft. He was not selected. Now, he is holding out hope for another chance with an NHL team by making a big enough impression.
"I came to Penticton not really sure what to expect and just try to give it my best, and the coaches and players all had confidence in me from the start which helped a lot," Brodeur said. "Our team is a very tight group. I think coming here has helped me regain my love for the game."
Martin Brodeur would no doubt like to see Anthony receive another chance, particularly if he closes the year strong with Penticton.
"I didn't do well enough my two years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to earn a contract, but hopefully I'll be able to open some more eyes with my play [in Penticton]," Anthony Brodeur said. "Hopefully winning a championship with this team can do that."