Brodeur (second from left) and other inductees into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame receive the Order of Sport award in 2019.
During his NHL career, Brodeur set numerous league records. He ended his career with 691 wins, 140 more than Roy, who is second on the NHL's all-time list. Brodeur extended his record shutout total to 125, 22 more than second-place Sawchuk. After his final season, he had played in 1,266 regular season games, a total more than 200 above that of any other goaltender. In nine seasons, Brodeur was the NHL wins leader, and in five other seasons he was among the top five goaltenders in the category. Brodeur's honors include four Vezina Trophy wins as the top goaltender in the NHL, and the 1993–94 Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. His total of five Jennings Trophies is tied for the most in NHL history, matching Roy's record. In postseason play, he had the most shutouts of any NHL goaltender (24), and his 113 playoff wins ranks second all-time.
Sportswriters and players have called Brodeur one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. USA Today's Kevin Allen placed Brodeur in a group including Roy and Sawchuk as the leading NHL goaltender, noting that Brodeur had the advantage in wins. Writer Steve Politi noted Brodeur's longevity as an advantage on other top all-time goaltenders such as Roy; Brodeur played 70 or more games in 12 seasons, compared to 0 for Roy. Sportsnet's Chris Boyle, after running a statistical analysis, placed Brodeur eighth in his all-time goaltending list; he offered the rationale that Brodeur's teammates helped him achieve his major records, while goaltenders such as Roy and Hašek had superior stats in their best seasons.
A statue of Brodeur outside of Prudential Center
Brodeur is remembered for his playing style: writer Katie Strang called him "one of the most innovative [goalies] ever to play the game", due to his "superior puck-handling skills".Scott Gomez, a former teammate of Brodeur in New Jersey, considered his goaltender to be the equivalent of an extra defenceman. A rule disallowing goaltenders from handling the puck outside a trapezoid shaped area behind the net is called "The Brodeur Rule" by some who believe his tendency to play the puck in the corners inspired the rule. His playing style proved uncommon among goaltenders of his era, as most of his competitors used a butterfly style exclusively.
The Salute, a bronze statue of Martin Brodeur by Jon Krawczyk, was installed outside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in 2016. On June 26, 2018, it was announced that Brodeur would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
