Martin Brodeur leaves game 'with a big smile' on face

Martin Brodeur, who has three Stanley Cup rings as the NHL's winningest goalie, will now try to win one in management.

The 22-year veteran officially announced his retirement on Thursday and was named senior adviser to St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong.

"I'm excited to start a new chapter in my hockey career," he said during a news conference in St. Louis. "This is something I've been thinking about for a long time."

Brodeur, 42, holds the NHL record for victories (691) and shutouts (125). Three of those wins and one of those shutouts came with the Blues, where he was a member for six weeks after spending his 21 seasons with the New Jersey Devils.

He was signed in early December after Blues goalie Brian Elliott went down with an injury. Brodeur said he wanted to prove he could still play and that he could still have fun in the game and he says he showed both.

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"I'm leaving the game with a big smile on my face, and I don't think if I had done that (retired) last year, that would have the case," he said.

The end came when Elliott returned and Brodeur was relegated to the sidelines. He last played on Jan. 2 and being a competitive person, he found it hard to be the third goalie and took a leave of absence to decide his future.

"At one point, I just felt in the way a little bit," he said, adding, "It was almost dangerous for me to practice and not get run over by the line rushes."

Brodeur will travel with the team and learn the ropes of management. He's committed to that role through the end of the season.

"There's no commitment, one way or the other, that I'll go back to New Jersey or stay in St. Louis," he said. "I just want to make sure I enjoy what I do and I'll make a decision when it's time."

Brodeur said he is intrigued by the Blues' potential in the playoffs, and the fact that he didn't return to New Jersey doesn't indicate a rift with Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello.

"For anyone who thinks that me and Lou are not on the same page, everybody's wrong," he said. "We stayed in contact before I signed with St. Louis, during when I was playing and while I was hanging out in Florida (making his decision).

"He agreed with me that his was probably the best opportunity and this was something he was not able to give me at this time, and I'm really excited to be here."

Brodeur's 691 wins are 140 more than Hall of Famer Patrick Roy. Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo leads active goalies with 390.

"691 is not too bad," he joked. "It would have been nice to be at 700, but it is what it is. I wish I could have played more games. All these lockouts, I got killed on it."

PHOTOS: Martin Brodeur through the years