Brodeur’s Legacy, Cemented Once Again in New Jersey | FEATURE

Martin Brodeur, born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal, never imagined he’d one day be standing in New Jersey, preparing to honor not only himself but the franchise he helped define, becoming the first New Jersey Devils member inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Few, of course, are more deserving. Brodeur built his hockey legacy right here in this state.

On Friday night, just steps from the building where he played his first game with the Devils in 1992, Brodeur was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.

“It was a bit unexpected being from Canada,” Brodeur said, far too humbly. “But obviously, I played a long time in New Jersey and with the teams we had a lot of success. It’s a great recognition. It’s pretty cool.”

“Getting drafted into the NHL was a dream come true,” Brodeur said during his induction speech. “But when the Devils made their selection, I was excited but I didn’t know it was going to change my life like this.”

Brodeur is also the first hockey player ever inducted.

“It means a lot, but Dano might be upset about it,” Brodeur joked. “I’m sure he’ll be next. But it’s great to just represent the Devils for the state of New Jersey. You look at all the athletes, the group of talent of people here, finally to have someone represent the Devils, it’s good.”

But Ken Daneyko, also known as Mr. Devil, was still part of the event. He was there too, asked to be the one to welcome his dear friend and teammate into the Hall.

“He’s a longtime friend the ultimate teammate, he’s the GOAT, the greatest goaltender of all time,” Daneyko said. “So moments like this, it’s a great honor for him going into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, and for them to ask me to present Marty into the Hall of Fame is really a great honor because when you spend that much time together with somebody and you work for the ultimate goal, and our dream was to be champions and we did it here in the state of New Jersey, which we took pride in. We hope we made the state proud.”

Brodeur during his induction speech echoed the same sentiments.

“My greatest achievements happened here in New Jersey,” he said.

For Brodeur, this honor isn’t just about celebrating his hockey accomplishments; it’s about acknowledging how New Jersey becomes part of you when you choose to make this state your home, or, in Brodeur’s case, the state picks you. Since arriving in 1992, he has continued to live here, and being able to remain a part of the Devils organization is, to him, the ultimate privilege.

“I was blessed to start my family here,” he said. “I want to thank the Devils organization for believing in me and keeping me around for so long. I’ve been around for 23 years and it’s still going in the front office. For that I want to thank Dr. Dave McMullen, Lou Lamoriello, David Blitzer, Josh Harris and Tom Fitzgerald.”

That connection, to the place, to the people, to the community that embraced him, is what Brodeur kept returning to throughout the night. His induction wasn’t only a reflection of what he accomplished on the ice, but of the life he built here and the gratitude he feels for the state that became his home.

“New Jersey is a great place to live with even better people,” he said from the podium, “I was fortunate to make lifetime friends through the years, people from different background come to New Jersey and that’s what makes it so special. Thank you, New Jersey, you changed my life.”