In the 2002 Winter Olympics, Martin Brodeur replaced Curtis Joseph as Team Canada’s starting goalie and helped his country win its first gold medal in half a century.
Eight years later, it was Brodeur who was supplanted by Roberto Luongo during the tournament, and Canada once went on to win gold on home ice in Vancouver.
So, what does Brodeur think should happen in 2014?
“I think when you win the gold medal, you deserve the chance to defend it until someone takes you down,” he said today, per The Record’s Tom Gulitti.
But while Brodeur thinks Luongo should keep his job until he loses it, he also said that Montreal’s Carey Price was pushing for the role.
Once Team Canada’s roster is announced on Tuesday, this is likely to be the biggest debate heading into the Sochi Games, at least as far as Canada is concerned. Neither goalie comes without baggage, and each has had his play in pressure situations questioned.
Brodeur’s argument that it should be Luongo’s job to lose could be countered with the fact that Price’s numbers this season are better (.928 save percentage to Luongo’s .920).
If we had to guess right now, head coach Mike Babcock will go with Luongo. But we reserve the right to change our guess before Feb. 13, when Canada opens the tourney versus Norway.
