St. Louis Blues goaltender Martin Brodeur was given a one-week leave of absence from the team Wednesday.
A statement from the Blues said, "Brodeur will rejoin the club in one week and his future will be addressed at that time."
Brodeur, the winningest goaltender in NHL history, has played in seven games for St. Louis with a 3-3-0 record, 2.87 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
He has been a healthy scratch the past five games after goalie Brian Elliott returned from a lower-body injury, behind him and Jake Allen.
The Blues signed Brodeur to a tryout after Elliot was injured Nov. 25; the 42-year-old signed a one-year contract Dec. 2.
Brodeur made 20 saves in a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Dec. 4. He won his first game with St. Louis two days later when he made 14 saves on 15 shots in relief of Allen in a 6-4 win against the New York Islanders.
Brodeur allowed six goals in a 6-4 loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 18, but shut out the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 on Dec. 29.
His most recent start was Jan. 2, a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Elliot returned Dec. 30 and has made five appearances (four starts), allowing 10 goals. He is 11-5-1 and ranked first in the NHL in goals-against average (1.95) and fourth in save percentage (.928) prior to games Wednesday.
Allen (13-5-2, 2.65 GAA, .900 save percentage) defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Tuesday, making 13 saves. Since Elliot's return, Allen has been the backup, and the Blues are on a five-game winning streak.
Brodeur has 691 NHL wins, a record 125 shutouts, and a lifetime .912 save percentage and 2.24 GAA.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion and four-time Vezina Trophy winner spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the New Jersey Devils. He became a free agent after the 2013-14 season.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.