Brodeur back between the popes for Devils

The New Jersey Devils activated goaltender Martin Brodeur on Wednesday, nearly four months after he underwent elbow surgery.  Brodeur injured his elbow on November 1^st in a game against the Atlanta Thrashers, and had surgery several days later to reattach a torn bicep muscle.   Initially there was some concern that he would be out for the season, but the prognosis began to quickly improve following the surgery due to the lack of complications and Brodeur’s tenacious rehab.

Brodeur began skating again six weeks ago, and practiced with the team for the first time since the injury two weeks ago.  He’s gotten the bulk of the time in net during the Devils’ practices during the past week, after which team officials pronounced him fit to play.  Brodeur expressed his excitement at returning to action to the media:

"We do something pretty cool playing hockey, so I am excited every game to play. But definitely there is a little more emphasis on this. I have not played in a long time and I want to get out there and see how it goes."

Until something is taken away from you, you don't appreciate it. I think it the injury puts stuff in perspective. You sit back for so long and wait and look at people, and guys having fun and you're like sitting there, and you'd like to have fun with them but you can't. It's tough because I never lived that before."

Brodeur also answered the inevitable questions about his conditioning:

"I feel good. I feel I haven't lost much out there practicing and moving around and then feeling the puck and controlling my rebounds and all that. It's a question of seeing game action and I am sure that will take a bit."

The Devils not only maintained form during Brodeur’s absence but took over the lead in the Atlantic Division and shot to the top half of the Eastern Conference standings in the process.  Much of the credit for this went to Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmensen.  Clemmensen, however, became the ‘odd man out’ in the Devils goaltending situation and was reassigned to Lowell of the AHL. 

Devils forward Brian Rolston emphasized that despite the solid play of Clemmensen and Weekes that Brodeur’s experience was irreplaceable:

"Any time you get the best goalie to ever play back in the lineup, it's a good thing. Clemmer and Weeksie have done a great job all year but to have Marty back gives you a goalie that has won big games for sure, and that has won Stanley Cups and everything else, and has all the records."

Brodeur will return to action with 544 career regular season victories, seven shy of the NHL record held by Montreal Canadians/Colorado Rockies legend Patrick Roy.