Playing career

Originally selected in the 1972 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders, Brodeur chose to begin his professional career in the World Hockey Association with the Quebec Nordiques. For seven seasons, he played with the Nordiques, with the 1975-76 season being his best playing 69 games and winning 44. During the 1976-77 season, his goaltending helped guide the Nordiques to the Avco World Trophy.

When the WHA folded following the 1978-79 season, the Islanders reclaimed his rights. However, he only played two games for them as he was the third goalie behind Billy Smith and Chico Resch, and was traded to the Vancouver Canucks prior to the 1980-81 NHL season. In his second season with the Canucks, he guided the team during their improbable playoff run to the finals, eventually losing to Brodeur's old team, the Islanders. Following the Canucks' 6-5 overtime loss in Game 1, Brodeur swatted with his catching mitt at a cameraman who was stationed along the runway between the bench and the dressing room.

Brodeur was selected to play in the 1983 All-Star Game, but couldn't play due to an ear injury suffered in Toronto three days before the game. He remained with the Canucks for almost eight seasons until he was traded near the end of the 1987-88 NHL season to Hartford, where he ended his NHL career. At the time of his retirement, Brodeur was the last active NHL player from the WHA's inaugural season, and the last to have played in all 7 seasons of the WHA's existence.

After his retirement, he founded his own hockey school in the Vancouver area. He also briefly worked as an analyst on Quebec Nordiques French TV telecasts.

He is also remembered for being the goaltender that Wayne Gretzky scored the most on, 29 times in the NHL.

Awards

• Terry Sawchuk Award (CHL) - 1979-1980
• Named to the NHL All-Star Game - 1983
• Cyclone Taylor Award (Vancouver Canucks) - 1981, 1982, 1985
• Molson Cup (Most Canucks three-star selections) - 1980-81, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1985-86
• Inaugural inductee into the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame - 2010

Personal life

Richard is an artist, using oil on canvas, and has had several shows at Diskin Galleries in Vancouver.

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1970-71	Verdun Maple Leafs	QJHL		6	1	4	1	360	47	0	7.83	.813
1970-71	Cornwall Royals	QJHL		35	—	—	—	2100	144	0	4.11	.879
1971-72	Cornwall Royals	QMJHL		58	—	—	—	3481	170	5	2.93	.914
1972-73	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		24	5	14	2	1288	102	0	4.75	.861
1973-74	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		30	15	12	1	1607	89	1	3.32	.901
1973-74	Maine Nordiques	NAHL		16	10	5	1	927	47	0	3.04	—
1974-75	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		51	29	21	0	2938	188	0	3.90	.892
1975-76	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		69	44	21	2	3967	244	2	3.69	.890
1976-77	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		53	29	18	2	2906	167	2	3.45	.880
1977-78	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		36	18	15	2	1962	121	0	3.70	.892
1978-79	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		42	25	13	3	2433	126	3	3.11	.901
1979-80	New York Islanders	NHL		2	1	0	0	80	6	0	4.50	.829
1979-80	Indianapolis Checkers	CHL		46	22	19	5	2722	131	4	2.88	—
1980-81	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		52	17	18	16	3024	177	0	3.51	.884
1981-82	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		52	20	18	12	3010	168	2	3.35	.891
1982-83	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		58	21	26	8	3291	208	0	3.79	.873
1983-84	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		36	10	21	5	2110	141	1	4.01	.868
1984-85	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		51	16	27	6	2930	228	0	4.67	.855
1984-85	Fredericton Express	AHL		4	3	0	1	249	13	0	3.13	.898
1985-86	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		64	19	32	8	3541	240	2	4.07	.861
1986-87	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		53	20	25	5	2972	178	1	3.59	.872
1987-88	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		11	3	6	2	668	49	0	4.40	.859
1987-88	Fredericton Express	AHL		2	0	1	0	99	8	0	4.85	.862
1987-88	Hartford Whalers	NHL		6	4	2	0	339	15	0	2.65	.894
1988-89	Binghamton Whalers	AHL		6	1	2	0	222	21	0	5.68	.824
WHA totals				305	165	114	12	17,101	1037	8	3.64	.889
NHL totals				385	131	175	62	21,966	1410	6	3.85	.872

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1971-72	Cornwall Royals	QMJHL		16	12	3	1	960	44	0	2.75	.922
1971-72	Cornwall Royals	M-Cup		3	2	1	—	179	4	1	1.34	—
1974-75	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		15	8	7	—	906	48	1	3.18	.913
1975-76	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		5	1	4	—	299	22	0	4.41	—
1976-77	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		17	12	5	—	1007	55	1	3.28	.882
1977-78	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		11	5	5	—	622	38	1	3.67	—
1978-79	Quebec Nordiques	WHA		3	0	2	—	114	14	0	7.37	—
1979-80	Indianapolis Checkers	CHL		6	3	3	—	357	12	1	2.02	—
1980-81	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		3	0	3	—	185	13	0	4.22	.852
1981-82	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		17	11	6	—	1089	49	0	2.70	.917
1982-83	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		3	0	3	—	193	13	0	4.04	.849
1983-84	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		4	1	3	—	222	12	1	3.24	.896
1985-86	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		2	0	2	—	120	12	0	6.00	.848
1987-88	Hartford Whalers	NHL		4	1	3	—	199	12	0	3.62	.862
WHA totals				51	26	23	—	2948	177	3	3.60	—
NHL totals				33	13	30	—	2008	111	1	3.32	.894

[ Source: Wikipedia ]