Martin Brodeur (True) Rookie Cards

With the 20th Overall Pick in the 1st Round of the 1990 NHL Entry, the New Jersey Devils selected Martin Brodeur from St. Hyacinthe Lasers Amateur Team. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. Martin Brodeur has two true rookie cards.

Job Description of a Goalie

It’s been said, “For the rare breed who dare stand between the pipes. Alone and vulnerable. The job description is simple. No matter how no matter what – just stop the puck.” – Author unknown.

Martin Brodeur did just that, for 22 seasons he stopped pucks better than anyone else. He was a big man standing 6′ 2″ 220lbs. without gear. But he was also mobile and was a threat with the puck.

Martin Brodeur Changes the Game

Brodeur would feed teammates nice easy passes up the middle that gave the impression that he was part of the offensive scheme. This part of his game was so successful the NHL changed the rules of the game.

Before the start of the 2005 season, the league instituted a new rule preventing goaltenders from playing the puck behind the goal line, except within a trapezoid-shaped zone located behind the net.

The trapezoid began at the goal line with angled lines six feet from each goal post and widened to 28 feet at the end boards.

This was viewed by many hockey aficionados as singling out Brodeur for his excellent puck handling skills. You know your good when the league decides to change the rules because of you.

This rule change occurred because Martin Brodeur played the position like no one else. He played it his way, he redefined what the goalie position is and he was better than everyone else. He has been quoted as describing the position this way,

“Goal tending is creativity, an expression of imagination and innovation, artistry, with pads, glove and a mask serving as the paint and paint brush.” – Martin Brodeur

Martin Brodeur attributes a lot of his success to having fun. Constant communication with teammates on the ice helped him stay engaged at all times, he would engage playfully, he says it kept him loose and took the edge off.

Career Stats & Accomplishments

Career stats are, Games Played 1,266 (1st) | Wins 691 (1st) | Loses 397 (1st) | Ties 154 | Shutouts 125 (1st).

He is also a Career Leader and ranks 1st in Saves 28,928, Shots Against 31,709, and MInutes 74,439. Statistically, Martin Brodeur ranks 1st in every category!

• 3x Stanley Cup Winner 1995, 2000, 2003
• 1x Calder Memorial Trophy 1993-94
• 7x All-Star
• 5x William Jennings Trophy
• 4x Vezina Trophy winner

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1990 7th Inning Sketch QMJHL, #222 (PRC)

Not to be confused with baseball, the 7th Inning Sketch was a card manufacturer in the early 1990s. This regional set was printed for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in Canada.

It’s a 268 card set and this is its key card. The card front shows a fantastic photo of Brodeur, although I’m not really sure what’s happening on that blurred portion to the left.

The card back has more great photography and player bio. It lacks in commentary and stats but overall a fantastic card.

With all that said, this is an unlicensed card distributed regionally. Therefore, should not be considered as a true rookie card but a rookie-year card would be the proper identifier.

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1990 Score, #439 (RC)

This is a 440 card set and card No. 439 of the set happens to be the official and only, American rookie card of Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.

The card front features a smiling Brodeur perhaps on Draft Day. It seems to be a very patriotic card design with red, white, and blue stripes. The 1st Round Draft Choice branding on the upper left corner is my favorite feature.

The card back is really basic for a 1990 card design. My favorite part of the card back is the Canadian and USA flag towards the bottom. There is no shortage of supply for this one as it was printed at the peak of the mass-production era.

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1990 Score Canadian, #439 (RC)

There was an exact Score Canadian version of the 440 card set produced. The American version used a blue Score logo on the card front. The logo on the front of the Canadian version is in red and the text in the back of the card shows both English and French text.

I believe the rookie cards of Martin Brodeur are severely undervalued for a Hall of Famer who is first in just about every statistical category at his position.

Add to this fact is the position of goalie, it’s arguably the most difficult and important position in the game. It is time, for me anyway, to get these cards into my collection!

Happy Collecting Collectors,

Learn. Collect. Enjoy.

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Sources:

Martin Brodeur Stats | Hockey-Reference.com https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/brodema01.html (accessed July 21, 2018).