The 16-year-old goaltender at Shattuck-St. Mary’s boarding school in Fairbault, Minn., is enjoying a successful season as an 11th grader. His style and his stats would undoubtedly draw attention from scouts under ordinary circumstances.
For this enthusiastic young athlete, however, ordinary has a different meaning. His father is an NHL goalie. You may have heard of him. Dad’s name is Martin Brodeur, and he is bursting with pride about his eldest son, Anthony.
“One of the things in my mind is to be able to be with him. I can’t wait to have the time to go and help him out, talk to him, be there and watch him. To be part of what he’s trying to accomplish,” the Devils’ 39-year-old goalie said.
“Even if he doesn’t get to the NHL. Even if he goes to college or decides to go the junior route, it’s pretty cool. It’s your son. It’s what I did all my life and what my dad did.”
“It has to be difficult because of the nature of people,” Brodeur said. “(Anthony) gets it all the time. He says, ‘Dad, you should’ve heard what this kid told me the other day.’ But he had it from an early age.
“One of his coaches in minor hockey said, ‘If you want, we’ll just put his first name on the back of his jersey.’ I said, ‘He’s
going to have to live with this. There’s no way you’re not putting my last name there.’ ”
According to Brodeur, Anthony is 5-10, 175 pounds, although he is listed as 5-11, 177. Dad was 5-10, 168 at that age.
In 18 games for the prep squad, Anthony is 15-2-1 with four shutouts and a 2.29 goals-against average. Late last month he helped Shattuck win the gold at the first world sport school challenge in Calgary. His style?
“He’s in-between. He’s a little more new school than me, that’s for sure,” Brodeur said. “He asks a lot of questions. More and more, actually. He watches highlights of me and other goalies and asks questions about different styles. What kind of equipment I wear and how I wear it. How I get prepared for a game. It’s pretty cool.
Best part of the article:
“He likes that Pekka Rinne, I think. I had to ask for a stick for him.”
Will he stack his pads like dad?
“For sure he will,” Brodeur said. “If not, I’m going to take his name off.”
NJ.com
Edited by Quinn01, 15 January 2012 - 11:34 AM.
