Brodeur says Canadiens 'not on my radar': report

Goaltender Martin Brodeur said Thursday he is not likely to sign with his hometown Montreal Canadiens when he becomes a free agent this summer, according to Northjersey.com.

"It depends on the situation of the team," Brodeur told Tom Gulitti of The Record. "Montreal would be tough. For me, I'm so used to being in the states and playing in the type of markets I'm used to playing in. But, again, I don't know. That's something that when we come to that bridge, we'll go over it. But it's something that, put it this way, they're not too much on my radar."

Montreal also may not have interest. Carey Price is the Canadiens' No. 1 goaltender, backed up by Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski, who played well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after Price was injured.

Brodeur has said he will explore the market when his contract with the New Jersey Devils expires June 30. He is looking for a more prominent role, ideally on a Stanley Cup contender, after splitting time with Cory Schneider this season, when the Devils did not make the playoffs.

Brodeur said 2014-15 is "going to be probably my last year."

"You never know what kind of energy I'm going to get from my decision, but I'm not looking for anything more than one year, that's for sure," he said.

Brodeur, who turned 42 on May 6, signed a two-year contract with New Jersey in 2012 after briefly testing free agency. He was 19-14-6 this season with a 2.51 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. His 688 regular-season victories and 124 shutouts are NHL records.

He again did not rule out returning to the Devils.

"It doesn't mean it's not going to be in New Jersey, but I'm going to look everywhere, like I did two years ago," he told the Fire & Ice blog. "But now, the circumstances are a lot different with having [Cory] here, so we'll see."

Brodeur said he expects to have a role in Devils management in the future. New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello did not comment on Brodeur's status.

"This organization means everything to me," Brodeur said. "I don't feel pushed out. I feel appreciated in all ways as far as what I can bring as far as leadership and from the fan base. That's something that will never go away. But, like any competitor, you want to play. You want to play as much as you can."