Brodeur expects to practice "soon"; says arm is still sore (completed)

Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said he has about "10 percent" of his recovery left to go and hopes to be on the ice "soon" with his teammates in practice. He said will be examined by doctors again later this week, but they have already cleared him to practice with the team.

"I don't think it's going to be that long," Brodeur said after facing shots again for about 20 minutes at the end of today's morning skate. "It's not going to be be tomorrow, but it's not going to be that far at all."

Brodeur has not played since he torn his distal biceps tendon near his left elbow on Nov. 1. Brodeur did not pinpoint a specific date for his return to game action, but said he's look at the end of the month or beginning of March.

"I'd like to be back tomorrow, but I don't have a date because I don't want to get myself to be disappointed if that date comes and I'm not ready or I feel I'm ready before that date and then I'm like, 'I told everybody I'm coming back. I don't want them to say I'm coming too early.'," Brodeur said. "So, I really don't want to put a pinpoint, but recovery time was four months and this week it will be at 3 1/2 months. So, that will be somehwere around when March comes around, but that day, that game, I don't know."

I have reported that Feb. 26 was his target date. Brodeur said that date was related to the timing following his Nov. 6 surgery.

""Feb 26, that's exactly 16 weeks to the day of when I had my surgery," Brodeur said. "That's why that date came out."

Brodeur said that when he does come back, he expects to play regularly again.

"I don't know what the plan is, but I never expected to play one game and sit one game," he said. "I'm going to want to play a lot just to get back. The playoffs are coming up. They're going to be really soon when I get back, so I've got to get to the position where I'm able to play as good as I can. That's no different than training camp when I come in. I started this season with 10 games in a row. I know it's in the middle of the season and it's a different level, but right now I'm at a lot different level then when I come in for training camp also as far as conditioning."

Today, he was on the ice for the end of the morning skate, so he was able to face shots from a lot of the players. He stayed on the ice after that to take more shots from head coach Brent Sutter, assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin, and left wing Jay Pandolfo and defenseman Jay Leach, who won't be playing tonight against the Rangers.

"It's coming along," Brodeur said. "I've been skating for a bit now, so it's kind of nice to get back into practice with real players. Coaches are good, but they've been retired for a few years. It's nice to have real players to shoot at me."

Brodeur said he still has some soreness in his arm at the point the tendon was re-attached on the outside of his forarm near the elbow.

"It feels good, but it's tight," he said. "There's a lot of scar tissue that's built up through surgery and it's a matter of breaking everything down. Anybody that's had a surgery can tell you the same thing. It's a tough process to get back, but every day I hurt it a little bit and the next day it feels better. I've just got to break it (the scar tissue) and eventually I'll wake up one day and feel no pain. But right now it's not 100 percent that's for sure."

Brodeur can feel the scar tissue when it breaks.

Brodeur said he was assured by the surgeon that after "12 weeks there will be zero danger of you pulling it again, unless you get hit by a car, knock on wood, or something bad. Playing hockey, you might tweak it, but you're not going to damage your surgery."

Brodeur said conditioning won't be a factor for him.

"Conditioning won't be a problem," he said. "It's whenever that arm feels better. I think conditioning is just part of it. I work hard every day. It's getting stale to do the same thing over and over. Definitely now it's a new challenge to get back on the ice and do stuff off the ice also. I will be in the best shape of the ice when I get back, that's for sure."

Brodeur said it was not easy to keep up his conditioning , especially during the first two months after his injury.

"That's why it's hard to get back now after being at the top where I felt I was when I came in in training camp," he said. "I felt really good this season. I made a big commitment in working out and changing some of the (eating) habits and then you sit there for two months. It's one thing to not working out in the summer for two months. You're active. But when you can't move, it's a different story. So, it was a big challenge, but we went through it and now wer'e on the road on getting back on top where I want to be."

Brodeur said he hasn't much of a chance to talk to Kevin Weekes since he started to step up his rehab in late December and January.

"When I started to rehab more seriously, (the team) went away for a month and a half, so I didn't see many players," he said. "Really, the last week or so I've seen some of my teammates. When you are hurt, you are so out of synch with everybody, their schedule, what they feel like, so you stay away from them as much as you can because they don't have time for you."

It's been long journey so far just to get to this point.

"Right now I'm at the point where I probably have 10 percent left in my recovery, but it's a long process," he said. "It was hard, but I took time go with my family, do a lot of stuff with the boys and my daugther and see some family things. Great holidays. It's pretty rare for a hockey player to get a chance to really enjoy it. So, I did that and after Christmas it's really been working out, getting on my road to recovery to get back in the rink."

How quickly can that 10 percent go?

"I don't know," he said. "That's the question mark everybody has. I'm going to go see the doctors one more time this week and they'll say, 'All right. Go ahead. When you feel comfortable.' Even though I'm cleared by the doctors to practice with my team, I don't know if I'm going to be able to because I'll know myself when I'll be able to go. Right now I'm real close to that. Who knows if tomorrow I get in and I tweak it a little bit. Maybe I have a to take a couple of days off before it heals up and I have to do it again. That's the process. I've never been through a big surgery like that and a big recovery like that, so I don't know when that time will be."

Brodeur said that to get used to catching pucks again, he started out catching a lacrosse ball during off-ice workouts before he was cleared to resume skating on Jan. 21.

"So, I had a feeling of what it was going to be," he said. "A lacrosse ball is a little lighter than a puck, but not much. So I had that feeling of doing it first. So when I got on the ice it was really under control. It was baby steps along the way. Now I feel confident that I can do whatever. I've gotten some hard shots in my glove and I stay in control. Now, it's maybe a matter of practicing with players. It's a little ways before I'm back for real, but good steps."

One of the things Brodeur has not done much of yet is stick-handling.

"I did a little bit and it's OK," he said. "It's one of the last things that's going to come back, I think...I've got other ways to shoot the puck. I've hurt my hand at the World Cup (in 2004), with my wrist and stuff and I was able to play it a different way with my glove so it's tighter. WIth my glove closed, I wouldn't shoot as hard. I've got to keep it a little more simple."

Brodeur said he has missed playing more the closer he gets to returning.

"I didn't miss it much because (his return) was so far ahead, but now that I see that light, it's right there to get back with the guys, now I'm itching," he said. "I'm excited to be part of the team again to a certain extent and get myself on the road to recovery. The next few weeks, that should be it." 

He said he only watched parts of games earlier in his recovery, but has been watching more closely as he gets closer to returning.

"Before I would the results, but now I'm really into it, watching every game to start trying to do my homework a bit," he said. "There's a lot of new kids doing well this year, so I've got to get to know the league again a little bit." 

This is first time in Brodeur's career that he's missed a significant period of time due to injury.

"It's really hard," he said. "I think the first couple of weeks (following his surgery) I couldn't move, so I knew I couldn't do anything. After that you get in a brace that moves a little bit and it took a long time to be able to function like a real human being that doesn't have any injury. So, that wasn't too bad after you get into that almost depression mode. You're like, 'Is it going to heal?' Because it doesn't move, it doesn't get better. Then, after that, you start your rehab and get much better really quick."

Brodeur said he's enjoyed watching the Devils play well and move into first place in the Atlantic Division without him.

"It's exciting," he said. "It's been a great -- not a surprise because we felt that we had a good team, but with me going down a lot of people had questions about this hockey club," Brodeur said. "This shows they could do it without me for a while. They've been doing great and (Scott Clemmensen) has been playing some great games to help the team to stay on top of our division for a while now.

"It's kind of nice. It's not a question for me coming back, I don't feel pressure and say, 'If I don't come back we're not making playoffs' and you'll want to push coming back. I can take my time and make sure I'm 100 percent when I do get back. I definitely give a lot of credit to everybody for having a great season. We've stayed healthy after going real bad there for a couple of months. After that, it's been really good."

The team has changed some since Brodeur was injured. Brendan Shanahan signed with the team on Jan. 14. Brodeur remembers Shanahan from his first stint with the Devils, which ended in 1991.

"I had one training camp with him, two training camps maybe," he said. "He's a leader. He's a guy that's scored a lot of goals, will score more goals. I think it just adds a lot of depth to our hockey club. I think it was a susprise that (Lou Lamoriello) pulled to make a move like that, but I think he's blending in pretty good. Definitely other guys on our team that have been around for a long time are taking a hit because he's here. Pando is not playing, so that's tough. But it's part of our game and everybody needs to adjust. I think in the long run it's going to be a positive step that we added to our depth like that with Brendan in our lineup."

Brodeur has noticed one significant difference in the way the team has played without him.

"We've scored a lot more goals," he said. "It's definitely nice. Hopefully, they keep it up when I get back. I think especially with Zach (Parise), everybody knows he was good, but now he's proving it. Night in and night out, he's just going out and he's the most exciting player on the ice. Talking to a lot of people from Montreal, my buddies and stuff, everybody wants to look at the Devils to watch him play and see how exciting he is. It's been a while since we had a player like that. Patrk (Elias) was like that for a few years when we had that big line, but I think it's an exciting time for (Parise). He's really, this season more than anyone, that's really who climbed up from the pack and did real well."

Brodeur said he was disappointed he missed the all-star game in Montreal this year.

"I've been to a lot of all-star games and definitely this was one of the ones I would have loved to participate in being from there and for all of the history of the game," he said. "From watching it on TV and talking to people that were there, it was the ulitmate. I've been to the one in Toronto in 2000. All of the old Maple Leafs were there. We had the celebration on the ice for the all-star game. That was fun, but I'm sure that one (in Montreal) also would have been great to be part of. So that was disappointing."

With Tampa Bay's Olaf Kolzig also partially tearing his distal biceps tendon, it appears this might become a common injury for goaltenders.

"You saw a couple of football players have it this year too," Brodeur said. "I'm always watching for that now. But I don't know. Kolzig was more like's Weeksie. It wasn't like mine. It was partially torn."

***

I have bad news for those of you hoping that Brodeur will go back to his old mask. He said he's sticking with this one and he doesn't have the old one anymore. I'm not sure, but I believe he had the MB30 logo painted on his second mask as well.

[The end]

Comments

[Don Ferlazzo]

Thanks for the Brodeur updates TG! Keep 'em coming, and tell Lou we miss Jay Pandolfo!

[Captain Cornholio]

What did Brodeur have to do to get permission from Lou to talk to you?

I just hope he doesn't return too quickly and then ends up out for the season.

[Kellyn]

It's weird; the closer Brodeur gets to returning the more I miss seeing him in net. Don't get me wrong, Weekes and Clemmensen have done well in his absence and I give them all the props they're do, but whenever one of them lets in a soft goal I can't help but thinking 'Marty probably would've had that.'

And was I the only one who watched NBC's game of the week yesterday only to here Pierre McGuire say he didn't like the Devils chances at a deep playoff run because Brodeur hasn't played all season and he's old and blah blah blah blah blah? Pierre McGuire is an idiot.

[Pat]

It sounds like he will be back before the Colorado game, but not definitely. We should then trade Clemmer for a bruising, stay at home defenseman or a 2nd line center.

[Captain Cornholio]

Pierre's not an idiot. He's just holding the company line. NBC does not want the Devils in the playoffs. However, since they will likely qualify at this point, the network hopes they'll bow out early.

[stoonbora]

No, Captain, Pierre is an idiot. I've been listening to him for years, since he's a major part of the TSN broadcasts and as a Canadian that's where I get most of my hockey fix. His colour commentary is atrocious, and he's so biased it's almost painful.

[Jersey Mike]

I hope they shock the world and win it all. It'll make a good movie some day.

[Nick]

@Jersey Mike

The 95,00,03 Stanley Cup videos/DVDs were pretty good movies, haha

[ges918]

TG-
Would you guess that Marty will have a conditioning assignment in Lowell or Trenton before returning to the lineup?

[frankied]

Didn't Marty just dis Elias right there? Like he is a thing of the past? lol

[TG]

Right now, I think a conditioning assignment seems unlikely. I think those three practices leading up to Feb. 26 (though he says that he has not pinpointed a date for his return) will be when they really test him in game-like situations in practice and they feel that will enough.

[Captain Cornholio]

If Pierre's an idiot, then how come he's still on TV?

Just a thought . . .

[redante1]

Is pierre the bald gy with glasses???

[redante1]

IF so, YEA he's a twat

[redante1]

He's a tool

[stoonbora]

Seriously, Captain? Do you think idiots aren't on TV? McGuire, Fischler, Milbury, Melrose, Cherry, the list goes on and on. These are all people who know hockey but are incredibly biased and who make idiotic statements because of it (Cherry and his bias against Europeans, Melrose's bias against the Devils, McGuire's love affair with Toronto, etc)

[Baggy Spandex]

That stinks about Marty's mask. He should've given the old one to the Devils or the HHOF.

[Captain Cornholio]

Unfortunately, name recognition usually wins the day in show business. Don Cherry's ignorance doesn't hurt him because . . . he's Don Cherry. Barry Melrose doesn't like the Devils because they've won the Cup three times and his team basically played the same way in 1993 without winning the whole thing. But his hair is still as valuable in this world as Don King's.

I do see your point, but I would also say Pierre McGuire doesn't have that name recognition. So he allegedly has some form of intelligence. And I wouldn't call him a Toronto guy, anyway. He was born in Jersey!

[embo slice]

maybe the new mask isn't a bad thing after all....we learned to play a different style and not try to win 1-0 games like we did with marty, and we have been successful with it.....sure, with marty, we still have that ability to win a 1-0 game, but now we have even more options of winning.....i'm likin that

[Jason]

Pierre is the same guy that thinks fighting has to be removed from the league, and that hockey has gotten "too rough". He represents EVERYTHING that is wrong with the game today, and the attitude that will inevitably lead to its demise.

[Jason]

Milbury can't stand him BTW. He had a great verbal battle with him a couple weeks ago that went well beyond the initial "bit".

[nnjrules]

Pierre is a moron,and a complete suck up to Crosby. He is clueless and tries to stir the pot, brings little to the table but name drops. Capt. you may get elias'ed if you dont change your mind on this one, you will become "A" Cornholio

[Captain Cornholio]

Are you threatening me? I would hate for my bungholio to get polio!

[nnjrules]

its all good, put a plug in your bungholio and release it tonight on the rags

[Baggy Spandex]

::sigh:: Can we instead praise TG and shower him with gifts and 20-something virgins instead of castrating Pierre?