Brodeur is back !
Nearly four months after he played his last game, the New Jersey Devils have activated goaltender Martin Brodeur from the injured list and the future Hall of Famer will start in goal against the Colorado Avalanche Thursday night.
"I'll be in tomorrow," Brodeur told reporters after Wednesday's practice.
"We just talked briefly after practice," coach Brent Sutter said. "I just asked him how he was. He said he was good and I said, 'Are you ready to play?' and he said, 'Yup.' So, I said, 'You're playing tomorrow.' It was a brief conversation."
Brodeur hasn't played since Nov. 1, when he tore the distal biceps tendon in his left arm. He had surgery Nov. 6, and Thursday's game will mark exactly 16 weeks -- right on schedule with the original assessment of a 3-4 month recovery.
To accommodate Brodeur on the roster, Scott Clemmensen was sent to the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lowell Devils.
New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur is closing in on a number of all-time goaltending records. READ MORE ›
While that move may seem startling because Clemmensen has played so well for the Devils, going 25-13-1, with a 2.39 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 40 appearances, the move largely is procedural. Clemmensen was recalled on emergency recall on Nov. 1. Had the Devils opted to keep him following Brodeur's activation, Clemmensen would have had to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL.
New Jersey General Manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters Clemmensen could be recalled after the March 4 trade deadline and would not have to clear waivers to be sent down after that. Clemmensen would not have clear re-entry waivers to be recalled.
"I had a long conversation with Scotty (Tuesday)," Lamoriello said. "He certainly understands exactly why. In saying that, the job that he did was incredible while he was here. He knows and we know that he's capable of doing that and he's certainly made a lot of people aware of what he can do. In saying that, you never know what the future takes. I couldn't be more proud of him the way he's handled everything on and off the ice and also the way he handled this situation. He's a very mature individual."
Kevin Weekes, the Devils' other goalie, would have had to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL.
Lamoriello explained that it was not ideal to have three goaltenders in practice. That was also a factor in the decision.
"When you look at three goaltenders, you cannot give them enough ice time to do the things that are necessary to be ready to play," Lamoriello said. "That would have been unfair to the coaches if that decision were made and that's a decision I had to make."
"I'll be in tomorrow," Brodeur told reporters after Wednesday's practice.
"We just talked briefly after practice," coach Brent Sutter said. "I just asked him how he was. He said he was good and I said, 'Are you ready to play?' and he said, 'Yup.' So, I said, 'You're playing tomorrow.' It was a brief conversation."
Brodeur hasn't played since Nov. 1, when he tore the distal biceps tendon in his left arm. He had surgery Nov. 6, and Thursday's game will mark exactly 16 weeks -- right on schedule with the original assessment of a 3-4 month recovery.
To accommodate Brodeur on the roster, Scott Clemmensen was sent to the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lowell Devils.
New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur is closing in on a number of all-time goaltending records. READ MORE ›
While that move may seem startling because Clemmensen has played so well for the Devils, going 25-13-1, with a 2.39 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 40 appearances, the move largely is procedural. Clemmensen was recalled on emergency recall on Nov. 1. Had the Devils opted to keep him following Brodeur's activation, Clemmensen would have had to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL.
New Jersey General Manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters Clemmensen could be recalled after the March 4 trade deadline and would not have to clear waivers to be sent down after that. Clemmensen would not have clear re-entry waivers to be recalled.
"I had a long conversation with Scotty (Tuesday)," Lamoriello said. "He certainly understands exactly why. In saying that, the job that he did was incredible while he was here. He knows and we know that he's capable of doing that and he's certainly made a lot of people aware of what he can do. In saying that, you never know what the future takes. I couldn't be more proud of him the way he's handled everything on and off the ice and also the way he handled this situation. He's a very mature individual."
Kevin Weekes, the Devils' other goalie, would have had to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL.
Lamoriello explained that it was not ideal to have three goaltenders in practice. That was also a factor in the decision.
"When you look at three goaltenders, you cannot give them enough ice time to do the things that are necessary to be ready to play," Lamoriello said. "That would have been unfair to the coaches if that decision were made and that's a decision I had to make."
