Born in 1996, Jeremy Brodeur had the opportunity to watch his father Martin keep the nets for many years in front of the cage of the New Jersey Devils – without forgetting the seven games with the St. Louis Blues in 2014-2015.
Younger than Anthony, his brother, who was drafted by the Devils in 2013 when his father announced his name on the microphone, Jeremy played three seasons with the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario League before joining. align with the Allen Americans in the ECHL.
Never drafted, but a goalie just like his father, Jeremy rolled around for the next few years, never getting an opportunity in the NHL. All that changed Monday evening, when more than 10 years after his father’s last start in front of the Devils cage, Brodeur was back, like a déjà vu, in front of the New Jersey team’s goal.
After being the back of Martin’s helmet for so many seasons, Jeremy finally got his turn in net for the club his father was so revered by.
A performance that looks like a father
If not for a goal by Anton Blidh on a return shot in the slot with 96 seconds left, Jeremy would have had a shutout in his very first start in front of an NHL net. He could have boasted of having achieved what his father achieved 125 times during his career.
Jeremy Brodeur still stopped 29 of 30 shots aimed at him in a 3-1 victory for the Devils on Monday night. He also made a magnificent save at the end of the second period, reminiscent of his father’s glory days. His sparkling performance earned him the first star.
“I was very nervous during the warm-up, but I calmed down quickly. My teammates played well and stopped their chances,” explained Brodeur after the match.
Asked about the importance of his father, Jeremy emphasized that he follows his career and that he hopes he saw his match on Monday night.
“It’s a little late in Europe at the moment [NDLR : puisque son père est à Prague pour la Global Series entre les Devils et les Sabres de Buffalo]. I’ll probably contact him tomorrow morning. »
In addition to Brodeur, Quebecer and former member of the Montreal Canadiens organization, Nathan Légaré also stood out. He scored New Jersey’s second goal of the game with a magnificent breakaway feint.
