The Unbeatable Martin Brodeur by Andrew Podnieks

The 2008-09 season was setting up nicely for Martin Brodeur. He was likely to set all time NHL records for wins and shutouts by a goaltender, all but crowning him as the greatest goalie of all time.

After a strong start, a torn bicep shelved the New Jersey Devils great for four months, and certainly putting any coronation on indefinite hold.

So what is Marty doing for four months?

Perhaps he has spent some time reading Andrew Podnieks new book The Unbeatable Martin Brodeur.

Actually, it is more likely that he has spent time promoting the title. That is because he is well aware of the juvenile title, cooperating fully with Podnieks. Brodeur wrote the introduction himself, and had his father supply all the color photos in the book.

Published by HB Fenn, the 96 page paperback is an easy read. Podnieks nicely chronicles Brodeur's childhood right through to his Stanley Cup and Olympic glory. The book is a fast, action-packed look at one of hockey's extraordinary nice guys.

After looking at his youth and junior hockey days, the book turns to Brodeur's meteoric rise into hockey's top goaltender. From his rise to the top to his three Stanley Cup championships, from his Olympic and World Cup gold medals to his chase of once-untouchable NHL records, Brodeur's biography is a very convincing argument that he really is the greatest goaltender of all time.

The photos nicely contribute to the exciting feeling about the book. For those of you who do not know, Martin's father, Denis, is one of the most famous hockey photographers of all time. He supplies some rare and interesting photos of son, such as Martin as a child playing road hockey, watching the Montreal Canadiens practice from the player's bench, and receiving one one one instruction from the great Vladislav Tretiak. Later we get to see Brodeur as a Devil wearing the unfamiliar #29.

This book follows other Hockey Canada-related youth books published by H.B. Fenn and Company Ltd. such as, The Sensational Jarome Iginla, The Spectacular Sidney Crosby, and H.E.A.R.T. (Cassie Campbell). Watch for Dominate Dany Heatley later in November, as well.

If you have a young hockey fan or a goaltender on your Christmas list, Andrew Podnieks' The Unbeatable Martin Brodeur would make for an affordable gift to place under the tree.

Brodeur: Beyond The Crease

He is a three-time Stanley Cup winner. He is an Olympic gold medallist and a four time Vezina trophy winner as the NHL's best goalie. Before all is said and done he will be the NHL's winning goalie and all-time shut out king. The Hall of Fame awaits him.

And now Martin Brodeur is an author, too.

Brodeur released his autobiography in 2006, with a little help from top hockey writer Damien Cox. The book, called Brodeur: Beyond the Crease, was published by Wiley. In 2007 separate Canadian and American paper back editions were released.

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His autobiography is certainly premature. After all he has already put in great seasons after the book's release and he is showing no signs of slowing down just yet. But he offers a lot of insight and opinion on a wide range of topics and is worthy of a read.

As the Beyond The Crease subtitle suggests, Brodeur had things to say, and this was his preferred way to communicate them.

Don't forget back in 2006 the NHL was coming out of the lost lockout season, so there was plenty on his mind. He talks at length about many aspects of the business of the game, from the lock-out to agents to the salary cap to Lou Lamoreillo.

The book even opens with a chapter entitled "A Company Man" where Brodeur explains his own contract he himself negotiated, a contract that was criticized by agents, the NHLPA and even some players as being too far below market value and therefore hurting players across the league.

He goes on to thoroughly offer his insight of the game on and off the ice, never afraid to make suggestions to make the game better. He gives us an inside peek at the life of a professional athlete, as well as running through the mostly ups and few downs of his career from the New Jersey to the Olympics. He gives advice to kids, talks about players and other goaliesaround the league and gives his thoughts on the direction the sport needs to head next.

But the book offers more than just hockey. In a very personal and likable fashion he openly talks about his cherished youth and his relationship with his father, an Olympic goalie-turned-hockey-photographer who is a bit of a hockey legend in his own right. He even weighs in on topics such as Quebec and Canada, life in America, and life as a celebrity.

Two things are obvious in reading this easy page turner - Brodeur has a lot to say, and he's a really genuine and open guy. His passion for the important things in his life is so obvious you can almost see a twinkle in his eye as you read his words.

All in all this easy-to-read book is solid though honestly not spectacular. Brodeur does not shovel a lot of dirt (although he does rip Patrick Roy pretty good), but he is very open about a wide variety of topics, ensuring even non-Brodeur fans something to take away from the book.

I would recommend this to any hockey fan, even juvenile readers. For adults it may be more of a time-passing, light read on a long trip or sitting by the fire waiting for the game to start.