Reformed butterfly goalie Brodeur adding to NHL records at 40

Martin Brodeur continues to build on his place in NHL history, even adding a few records on his 40th birthday this week.

Brodeur celebrated that milestone by making 20 saves in a 4-2 win over the Flyers on Sunday to give the Devils a 3-1 series lead. In doing so he became the first NHL goaltender to appear in a playoff game in both his teens – his first postseason game came in relief of Chris Terreri, now his goaltending coach, as a 19-year-old straight out of junior was back in 1992 – and his 40s.

The win was Brodeur’s 106th in the playoffs – he posted his milestone 100th in the first round – trailing only Patrick Roy’s 151, and more importantly moved him within one victory of making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2003, when he won the last of his three Stanley Cups. Brodeur also posted his 24th career playoff shutout in the first round, passing Roy for top spot in that category, and with three assists already, including one on his birthday Sunday, could soon hold that record too.

Brodeur assisted on an empty-net goal by Dainius Zubrus with 44.4 seconds left to play, becoming the oldest player (not just goalies) in NHL history to record a playoff assist on his birthday. With one goal and 11 assists in the playoffs, he moved ahead of Roy into second place all-time with 12 points, behind only Grant Fuhr, who had 14 career playoff assists.

It’s an impressive list for a future first-ballot Hall of Fame goaltender known for maintaining his stand-up style in the era of butterfly stoppers. But it wasn’t always that way for Brodeur. With his recent milestone in mind, it’s a good time to take a look back at an old Ask A Pro the Devils living legend did with InGoal, one in which he revealed he too used to play the butterfly.

That’s right, Brodeur said his “whole thing was the butterfly” in junior. Click here to read the entire Ask A Pro with Brodeur, including how Ron Hextall inspired him to become such a great puck handler.