When Scott Wedgewood got drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2010, he couldn’t believe his good luck. The goalie from Brampton, Ontario, was going to the team with which his childhood idol, Martin Brodeur, had become the NHL’s all-time winningest goaltender just a year earlier.
“At first, I was a little intimidated to go and talk to him,” Wedgwood said, recalling his first training camp with the Devils. “After a while, he kind of took to me and his kids would come to camp and say, ‘Hey, my dad says hi.’ He was always really nice.”
Brodeur, who retired with 691 career wins, left a lasting impression with Wedgewood that has stayed with him to this day – even now as one of the newest members of the Coyotes.