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New Jersey Devils: Martin Brodeur is way more than just another Devil

By John Carroll Jr.

NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 25: A statue dedicated to Martin Brodeur sits outside the Prudential Center prior to the ganme between the New Jersey Devils and the Arizona Coyotes on October 25, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 25: A statue dedicated to Martin Brodeur sits outside the Prudential Center prior to the ganme between the New Jersey Devils and the Arizona Coyotes on October 25, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame class has been announced and the New Jersey Devils are represented in the best way possible. Martin Brodeur is officially a Hall of Famer and part of hockey immortality.

The New Jersey Devils are one of the most successful franchises in sports. Their three Stanley Cups, multiple other conference championships. winning their division in almost every system of the league all speak for themselves.

However, it was never supposed to be this way. New Jersey is a great market but it seemed crazy for hockey to ever work there, but instead, it thrived.

There is arguably one man to thank for that. He is a goalie you might have heard of who goes by “Marty.” Not only is Martin Brodeur taking his rightful, obvious, and perfect spot into the Hockey Hall of Fame, he finally has the honor that shows he is more than just another Devil.

There is a reason why there is a massive statue of him in front of the house that he built-in Prudential Center. He is the heart and soul of this franchise.

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You cannot write about the history of hockey without getting into the New Jersey Devils. But, you cannot talk about the history of the New Jersey Devils without Marty.

You don’t need me to tell you that, it is obvious. Not only did he break nearly every NHL goalie record that has even a remote ounce of importance, he took an entire state and changed its history forever.

Only a small percentage of Hockey players make the Hall. Even fewer put a franchise on the map forever as a direct result of a career. Marty has done both.

Ask almost anybody who lives, used to live, or even spent a decent amount of time in New Jersey and they will know who Martin Brodeur is.

He is a household name. As a hockey player, in a city known for its sunny shores, that shows how long he was a dominant player.

But, even now, New Jersey is known for the Devils. That is because of Marty. He put hockey on the map in this state. no other major professional sports team has lasted here.

New Jersey shares a market with the rival Rangers, that did not matter. New Jersey embraced the Devils. They embraced Marty.

He is more than just a Devil. He is the Devils. This franchise will never go anywhere else ever again. Hockey in New Jersey does not seem so crazy now. It is the norm and heart of the state.

Martin Brodeur eventually put on pads for other teams towards the end of his career. But that does not matter, all the legends of the game have done that too.

The Devils dynasty of the late 90s and early 2000s was not a single man job. The Devils had a solid core of players who helped them maintain an elite level of greatness.

But I don’t think I am wrong to say that they don’t likely win a single one of those Cups without Martin Brodeur being who he is.

Martin Brodeur is more than just a Devils legend, he is a legend of the sport in everyone’s eyes. He the closest thing to a unanimous “best of all time” the goaltending position will ever see.

The New Jersey Devils might not exist without Marty.

Brodeur is more than just a Devil, he is a piece of the state. A hero to the people and someone who seemingly did something for a state and market very few people ever have or will again.

It is honestly hard to even explain.

Putting Martin Brodeur in the Hockey Hall of Fame was the easiest decision since deciding to sice bread. It is beyond deserving, in fact, deserving does not even begin to explain it.

The New Jersey Devils have their greatest player ever. They need to look no higher than the Hockey Hall of Fame now.

The accomplishment of putting a franchise and entire market on the map is perhaps greater than any stat or win Marty has complied in his legendary career. That takes something rarer than greatness.

Next: How did the Devils do with their first-round selection?

Martin Brodeur. A Hall of Famer. Now, always, and forever. And almost solely because of him the Devils will be relevant in New Jersey now, always, and forever.

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