Statue Of Martin Brodeur Being Created By Devils Fan
By Ryan Mayer, CBS Local Sports
Martin Brodeur is one of the best goaltenders that the NHL has ever seen and of course is a New Jersey Devils legend. The goalie won an NHL record 691 games, 125 by shutout and three Stanley Cups in his 21 years with the team. In accordance with his legend status, the Devils are honoring him with a statue that will be placed outside of the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The interesting part of the story? The statue is being sculpted by a Devils fan.
According to the New York Times, sculptor Jon Krawczyk has been tabbed by the team to make the statue commemorating the goalie. Krawczyk lives in Malibu, CA, but grew up in Boonton Township, NJ and is an avid Devils fan. From the Times:
"He watched the Devils as a child from Section 116, Row 10 at what was then Brendan Byrne Arena, the Devils' old home in East Rutherford.
"The Devils were a way for my father and I to communicate," Krawczyk said. "And Marty Brodeur was the big guy on campus — the No. 1 guy."
That's why when the team contacted him about the Brodeur statue last summer, he couldn't wait to take the job.
"When they brought it up, I was shocked," Brodeur said in a telephone interview. "I never expected a statue like that, to be standing outside ... forever."
This isn't the first statue of Krawczyk's that will be standing outside the arena. He previously sculpted the hockey player firing a slapshot statue that has stood outside the Prudential Center since 2009.
That statue combined with his New Jersey roots combined to make Krawczyk the perfect man for the Brodeur statue in the organization's eyes.
"Part of the reason we picked Jon is because we wanted to try to represent New Jersey whenever we can," Weber said. "The fact that he's from New Jersey gave him a leg up."
The statue is scheduled to be unveiled outside of the arena on February 8th after Krawczyk himself drives it from Malibu to Newark for the ceremony.
Ryan Mayer is an Associate Producer for CBS Local Sports. Ryan lives in NY but comes from Philly and life as a Philly sports fan has made him cynical. Anywhere sports are being discussed, that's where you'll find him.
