The Devils have been in New Jersey since 1982. Martin Brodeur played there full-time from 1993 to 2014. How many series did the Devils win before and after Brodeur’s tenure in the organization*?
Posted at 11:22
Updated at 7:47 p.m.
It’s partly in response – an answer that awaits you at the end of the article – to this question that Brodeur officially arrives, full-time, in the Devils’ hockey department. On Thursday, the team announced its promotion to executive vice-president of hockey operations.
On more than one occasion during his videoconference, we felt he was impatient to see the organization whose heydays he made chase away the long sobs of the violins of autumn.
“I aspire to bring the Devils back to what they should be, a winning franchise. We are not there, but we are getting close, ”he said from the outset.
Take this other remark, when a journalist pointed out to him that the Devils were enthroned, before Thursday’s games, in first place in the Metropolitan Division.
We were ripe! This organization should be among the best. We have just had a few difficult years for everyone, including us in hockey operations. The season is still young, but we see a lot of good trends that we are excited about, things that we had planned and that are happening.
Martin Brodeur
Brodeur will therefore try to do what Joe Sakic succeeded in Colorado, what Steve Yzerman is in the process of achieving in Detroit, namely to resurrect the organization to which he has devoted his entire career – except for seven games. When Sakic became president of the Avalanche in 2013, the team had missed the playoffs four times in five years and won only one series in seven years. When Yzerman returned to Detroit in 2019, the Wings hadn’t won anything since 2013 in the playoffs.
But such a mandate comes with expectations and without consulting Sakic and Yzerman specifically, Brodeur sought advice left and right.
“I’m close to Doug Armstrong in St. Louis, Luc Robitaille in Los Angeles, I’ve spoken to agents. I asked questions. I’ve played my whole career here. I’m happy to come here, to help the team grow and be more successful than lately. Since I left, it’s more difficult, and I can’t wait to get to work and help Tom. »
Expanded role
“Tom” is Tom Fitzgerald, general manager of the Devils since January 2020. Although he is a former player, he has experience as a manager, having held management positions since 2007.
Officially an “advisor” with the Devils for two and a half years, Brodeur is still based in St. Louis, having worked for the Blues from his retirement in early 2015 until 2018. He then joined the Devils, from first on the business side, now on the full-time hockey side.
The title “executive” suggests that he is above Fitzgerald, but on more than one occasion he spoke as a man who would work under the latter’s orders, and not the other way around.
“Fitzy came in as interim general manager and he got the confidence of the owners,” Brodeur recalled. He is really welcoming and it makes me want to stay. He wants to hear my opinion. »
Brodeur comes to an organization that has the foundations for success. Nico Hischier, first choice of the 2017 draft, totals 74 points in his last 82 games, that is to say since the start of the 2021-2022 season. Jack Hughes, another class leader (2019), has had more than a point per game since October 2021. Jesper Bratt is one of the most underrated forwards in the NHL, and Simon Nemec, defenseman drafted second overall last summer , is obviously promising.
All that’s missing is a real up-and-coming goalie, but to that end, Brodeur has worked to create a goalie development department, headed by his former assistant Scott Clemmensen.
“When I arrived on the hockey side, I spoke to Fitzy about it, I said that it should be important in the organization, otherwise you turn to free agents and you pay too much. It is important to develop it. I got permission to hire Scott, we have two full-time goalkeeper coaches, few teams have that.
“It may not pay off today, but eventually it could give us an advantage over the other teams. »
If everything falls into place, Brodeur hopes it will lead him to a fourth Stanley Cup, a first in a suit and tie.
“I left the Blues in 2018 and they won the following year. I was too quick on the trigger! I can’t wait to help the Devils win one. »
* Answer: Only two. It was 1988 when the team won its first two series to reach the Prince of Wales Conference final.