Brochu Elected To Pirates Hall of Fame presented by Fleet

Published on October 2, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Portland Pirates News Release


PORTLAND, ME - His name is woven throughout the Portland Pirates' record book. Later this season, goaltender Martin Brochu will be able to add one more accolade to his list of achievements as a Pirate-member of the Portland Pirates Hall of Fame presented by Fleet. The Pirates announced today that Brochu, the holder of 14 single season and career franchise goaltending records, will become the seventh inductee into the Hall. The date for an induction ceremony will be determined at a later date. Brochu is currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after signing with their National Hockey League affiliate, the Pittsburgh Penguins, this summer.

"The Pirates have been very fortunate to have a tradition of outstanding goaltenders, and Martin Brochu's accomplishments as a Pirate make him a worthy inductee into the Pirates' Hall of Fame presented by Fleet," said Brian Petrovek, Pirates' CEO. "Many future Pirates' goaltenders will be shooting for his franchise records for many years to come."

"The five years I spent in Portland have been some of the best years of my career," said Brochu. "The fans there were always supportive of me and the team. They're some of the best in the AHL."

Brochu's career numbers with the Pirates are remarkable. He is the franchise leader in appearances by a goalie (171), wins (79), ties (18), shutouts (10) and saves (4,585). The native of Anjou, Quebec also owns single season records for most consecutive games played (26), most wins (32), most consecutive wins (9), most saves in a game (61) and lowest goals-against average (2.18).

Brochu joined the Pirates in March of 1996 and quickly earned his reputation as a fan favorite. In just his second start in a Pirates uniform, he set the franchise record for saves in a game, making 61 against the Binghamton Rangers on March 23, 1996. He backstopped the Pirates to two unlikely playoff series wins that same year, at times single-handedly stopping the Worcester IceCats and the Springfield Falcons, to help the Pirates reach the Calder Cup Finals. He is the Pirates' career playoff leader in appearances (25) and has the lowest goals-against average (2.40) and highest save percentage (.925) for one playoff year. His two playoff shutouts in one year is also a franchise record. Brochu saved his best season for last. In 1999-2000, he was named the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Award winner as the American Hockey League's top goalie. He also earned the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL's MVP, the first and only Pirate to be so honored. He was a First Team AHL All-Star and the Most Valuable Player on the team as voted by Pirates' fans that same year.

Originally signed by the Montreal Canadiens as a free agent in 1992, Brochu has had success since leaving the Pirates, winning the Calder Cup in 2001 as a member of the Saint John Flames. A list of Brochu's records and career stats follows on the next page.

The Portland Pirates Hall of Fame founded in 1999 with the induction of charter members Andrew Brunette, Byron Dafoe and Olaf Kolzig. The Hall was created to honor those Pirates players and coaches who had played a significant role in Pirates' history and then gone on to further success in hockey. To be eligible, members must have taken part in at least 25 games and at the time of their induction, been at least one year removed from the club. Kevin Kaminski (2000), Steve Poapst (2001) and Kent Hulst (2002) have been inducted in subsequent years.

The Pirates open the home half of their schedule on Friday, October 17th when they host the Hartford Wolf Pack at the Civic Center at 7:05 p.m. As part of Opening Night festivities, Rivalries, Margaritas and the Brian Boru will be hosting a pre-game block party from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. with drink specials, giveaways and mascot appearances. The Pirates will be back on Civic Center ice on Saturday, October 18th when they host the Manchester Monarchs at 7:05 p.m. The first 3,000 fans will receive a Pirates' magnetic schedule. The Pirates' full season schedule is available on-line at portlandpirates.com. Good seat locations are still available for the 2003-2004 season with full and partial-season ticket packages on sale now. Call the Pirates at (207) 828-4665 for more information or log on to portlandpirates.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 2, 2003


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