devilsrule33 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Brodeur answers a lot of questions that Devils fans have been speculating on for a long time. You mentioned in your news conference that Lou Lamoriello couldn't offer you this kind of job right now. Was it this specific kind of position or the situation with the Devils? “It had nothing to do with the position. It's just what he could do right now was more of not being around the team. We had a lot of good conversations and he agreed when I told him what I wanted and he goes, 'Right now, it's not the time for you to do that in New Jersey.' And I got it. There's not one way or the other. I'm not mad at anybody. “I'm retiring as a New Jersey Devil as a player in my mind. I'll never be recognized as being with the St. Louis Blues. With the fans and the way I got treated by the fans in my record-setting seasons that I had and the last game against Boston that I played, nobody will ever replace that. So, right now, it's kind of a different chapter and, again, I'm not closing any doors in New Jersey whatsoever by doing what I did. If anything, it's going to be good for me and my future as far as knowing what I want to do. Because I don't know. “Maybe I'm not going to like this part of the game. I might, but maybe I'm going to say, 'This is not good for me.' But, at least I'm going to be touching a lot of different areas that I think I'd like to do and that's why I did it.” Because you mentioned it, what are your feelings about the the Devils? Are you upset about the way things ended in New Jersey? Some people look at this decision by you and interpret it as you not being happy with the organization. “No, not at all. If I would be mad, I wouldn't even think twice about taking this. I took two weeks and I talked to Lou for three weeks. For the last three weeks, I've been in constant contact with Lou and debating what my future would be. We had good conversations. He was getting back to me. I know he's real busy with coaching and doing everything right now. It was one more thing on his plate and I said, 'I'm sorry, but we've got to talk about this.' And he was great. I went through every step of the way with him like everybody should expect. The relationship I have with him is unbelievable. And, at this moment, for what I want, it's something I couldn't get in New Jersey. “If I was not (playing) in St. Louis, I probably never would be able to get that position. I was fortunate. It came out of left field. I was just going to say, 'I'm going to retire.' They said, 'We want you around.' (Armstrong) goes, 'I talked to the owners and this is what we're going to do for you. If you want to stay, we want you to stay.' That's how the whole thing started. I was going to retire one way or the other, job or no job.” At the end of last season with the situation with Cory Schneider waiting in the wings to be the No. 1 and the Devils needing to sign him to a contract extension, it seemed from what you said at the time that you just stepped aside for the good of the organization. Is that accurate? “It is accurate. I had the opportunity of coming back (to play). Lou wanted me back to a certain extent, but for me it didn't make sense. For the future of the organization, they needed to lock up Cory. If my being there could have impaired that decision, I didn't want that. I think they're lucky they made the trade and they got a good deal on the trade to be able to get a goalie the quality of Cory and you can't let that go. So, it worked out well. “It's his team now and I have no problem. I had my team for a long time. I can't complain there.” http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/one-on-one-with-martin-brodeur-i-m-retiring-as-a-new-jersey-devil-as-a-player-in-my-mind-1.1261247 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Last quote there is a great one. Can't imagine how tough that must have been for him. It's easy for us sitting here to say Marty doesn't have it anymore and Cory gives us a better chance to win, but not for legends of the game. In the end, it really goes to show how much of a Devil Marty really is. Realized he still wanted to play, and didn't want to screw it up for the long term for NJ. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Dan 56 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I hope Nick Kypreos and Glenn Healy read all that animosity with Lou. F'n hacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 There you go, Lou specifically told him he couldn't offer him the job he wanted. And, he stepped aside for the good of the team, which most people wanted him to do anyway by retiring. This should shut up all of the Marty haters who feel like 20+ years is "destroyed". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Marty's responses were about what I would've expected, in a good way...pretty honest and very classy. I think he was probably a little unhappier with the Devils and the whole situation at the end than he let on, but that's why it's so easy to appreciate a guy like him...nothing but good words to say about pretty much everything. Loved that he was so positive. The scariest thing in that interview had to do with Lou...that Lou was actually willing to consider bringing Marty back. I give Marty a lot of credit for realizing on his own that his coming back to the Devils wouldn't have been good for anyone involved (though I guess the "he only played for one team" crowd would have been appeased)...I just wonder why Lou couldn't see it. This should shut up all of the Marty haters who feel like 20+ years is "destroyed". In fairness, I wouldn't call all of the "tarnished" crowd "haters". I just think some of them really wanted the fairy-tale happy ending very badly and felt jilted that they didn't get it. It shows how much Marty meant to them, in that they wouldn't have such a strong reaction to the way his career ended otherwise. To me, the fairy-tale ending would've happened if Marty had retired after the 2012 SCF...he was coming off an extended stretch of terrific play, but was clearly also showing extended stretches of decline in both that season and the season before. Some would've said he might be getting out a little too early, but I think most would've respected the decision and would've felt that he was getting out of the game about as close to being on top as an all-time great could without winning a championship. But like Tri said in another thread, the perfect ending rarely happens, and clearly Marty was not ready to leave the game yet, so he kept going. I'm just happy for him in that he feels like he can move on now. Wish him nothing but the best no matter what he winds up doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beezer34 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 In fairness, I wouldn't call all of the "tarnished" crowd "haters". I just think some of them really wanted the fairy-tale happy ending very badly and felt jilted that they didn't get it. BINGO! ..and guess what? --that's okay! I have no problem with the group that think April 13th, 2014 should've been the finale. This is still fresh, and yet you have people screaming; "get over it" when the guy just retired yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 BINGO! ..and guess what? --that's okay! I have no problem with the group that think April 13th, 2014 should've been the finale. This is still fresh, and yet you have people screaming; "get over it" when the guy just retired yesterday. It's one thing to have people saying "tarnished", but what I saw yesterday was a lot of "traitor" and even worse being thrown around (I even saw people putting their Marty memorabilia collection up for sale out of spite). I think that's too far. I guess by the time Brodeur gets his number retired by the Devils most, if not all of that will be forgotten but it's pretty sad to see. I don't mind that these people are hurt but I think plenty are taking it waaaay too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 BINGO! ..and guess what? --that's okay! I have no problem with the group that think April 13th, 2014 should've been the finale. This is still fresh, and yet you have people screaming; "get over it" when the guy just retired yesterday. I agree with DM84...some of that "jilted" crowd is definitely overreacting a bit. If Marty's jersey retirement night is the dance club, then yesterday's announcement was the coat check. Much bigger and better things are coming, and it's going to be with our fans in our building. I can live with yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitico12 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I'll tell you what, if Lou indeed was that honest with Marty, I will give him a LOT of credit. Because telling the best ever goalie of all time that "right now, I don't have a job for you" isn't easy. It takes a lot of courage and reasoning, and for this I am starting to change my mind of my recent thoughts of Lamoriello's incompetence. It would have been a three-ring circus if he hired Marty in ANY capacity other than the "good will ambassadors" that Grant Marshall, Bruce Driver, and Jimmy Dowd already have locked down. Certainly, Marty wasn't going to take that job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I hope Nick Kypreos and Glenn Healy read all that animosity with Lou. F'n hacks. Bunch of losers, those guys. fvck em, honestly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Great read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) A lot of people were wrong. But it is fair to speculate. Every single person found it odd. Imagine how boring any radio or TV segments would be if everyone said "I'll withhold judgement on why this is happening until we get more information." It was the weirdest retirement press conference I have ever seen. Again, I don't have an opinion on it either way, but everyone thought it was off. Brodeur spelled it out quite well, but even his prepared statement was lacking. I'm not going to kill people for wondering. What I saw was a lot of Devils fans speculating as well, and then once Brodeur answered a lot of questions afterwords, they are now giving sh!t to people in the media that were asking many of the same questions. As Larry Brooks wrote yesterday... Don’t know about you folks, but when I think of Martin Brodeur’s legendary career, the three players who come immediately to mind are Brett Hull, Bernie Federko and Al MacInnis, with whom he shared the stage at his retirement announcement in … St. Louis? Obviously Brodeur wanted this day this way and his way. No one should resent him for that. But still, this announcement in a sterile environment devoid of Devils paraphernalia or personnel produced one of the most odd and off-key press conferences in memory. It was tantamount to what it would have been if Derek Jeter had wanted to play one more year, was not encouraged to do so by and with the Yankees, left to sign with, say, the Royals, played for a few weeks in the middle of the season, and retired at a press conference in Kansas City while joined on the stage by George Brett, Willie Mays Aikens and Bret Saberhagen before going to work in the KC front office. http://nypost.com/2015/01/29/ignoring-devils-is-sad-way-for-martin-brodeur-to-say-goodbye/ Edited January 30, 2015 by devilsrule33 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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