There were those who favored Brodeur. Others had a soft spot for Curtis Joseph of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Still others preferred Ed Belfour of the Dallas Stars.

After Sunday's dramatic Canadian victory over Team USA that clinched the gold medal for Canada, folks all across Canada are glad it was Brodeur between the pipes.

None of this debate bothered Brodeur, the star goalie of the New Jersey Devils. First of all, it isn't in his nature to worry about a lot. And he figured if he got a chance to play, things would take care of themselves. Plus, Brodeur always plays. In the last four seasons, Brodeur has appeared in a minimum of 70 games for the Devils.

Team Canada

2002 Olympics coverage Gold Medal Game: Canada 5, USA 2 Semifinals: Canada 7, Belarus 1 Quarterfinals: Canada 2, Finland 1 2/18: Canada 3, Czech Rep. 3 2/17: Canada 3, Germany 2 2/15: Sweden 5, Canada 2 Golden opportunity for Yzerman Olympics a family affair for Brodeur Team Canada full roster 2002 Olympics Chat

"I'm thankful for the chance to play the U.S.," Brodeur said. "We played well and we came back. It was great."

But was he surprised to get the nod for Canada's biggest Olympic game in half a century?

"I'm not surprised, I play every day in New Jersey," Brodeur said. "I was happy to get the start. I would have been disappointed if I didn't. It was nice to get the start.

In many ways it was imperative for Brodeur to get the start. He posted a 4-0-1 record in goal in the Olympics.

Brodeur was Joseph's backup for Team Canada's opening game of the tournament, a loss to Sweden. Coach Pat Quinn made some lineup changes and Brodeur went into the lineup up and produced a win over Germany and a tie with the Czech Republic before Canada moved to the quarterfinals and eliminated Finland and then defeated Belarus in the semifinals, thus advancing to the gold medal game against the United States Sunday.

And that's where Brodeur, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, turned in another great performance.

"Martin Brodeur, I'm very proud of him," said Team Canada's architect, Wayne Gretzky. "At 3-2, he made and incredible save on Brett Hull and that turned the game around."

Over the course of the tournament, Team Canada raised the ire of some fans and critics for not blowing every opponent out of the rink. Again, having the unflappable Brodeur in the net proved to be a boon for Canada.

"It's fun, a different atmosphere, there are people chanting," Brodeur laughed. "They don't do that much in Jersey. It's been nice to get to play in the Olympics. The speed and quality of play has been there. The guys are paying attention to the little details. There has been a rhythm to the game."

Brodeur will be remembered for bringing gold back to Canada. That's an honor that will last a lifetime.

Brodeur was named to Canada's 1998 Olympic entry, but did not play as Patrick Roy carried the mail for Canada. That was a disappointment for Brodeur, who was trying to match his father's Olympic legacy.

Denis Brodeur was one of Canada's goaltenders at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina, Italy. He came home from the Games with the bronze medal.

"It's the only thing I've heard from my Dad, winning that bronze medal in the Olympics," Brodeur laughed. "It was a big thing for him. He's got the bronze medal, but I have two Stanley Cups."

Now, Martin has the gold. But don't expect a word of protest from Denis.

"I saw it in his eyes," Martin said of his father's reaction to the quest for the gold medal. "He's been having a great time here. He's been doing interviews and living it up. I tried to see him after the game. I spotted my wife and my sons, but I didn't see him in the crowd.

"The Olympics means a lot in my family since before I was even around," Brodeur said. "My family is very proud I can play for and win a gold medal."

Heading into 2002 Games, Brodeur unveiled a new mask for the occasion.

"My mask has Cortina on the one side and Salt Lake City on the other," Brodeur said. "It's different from the one I had in Nagano. That had the (Olympic) rings on it and I found out you can't use them. It's a good thing I didn't wear it.

"It means a lot. I am really excited to get the opportunity to be a part of a team like that," the Devils' netminder said. "There is a lot to choose from in Canada, as far as goalies are concerned, so it is definitely a great honor. For me it's even a little more of a plus since my father played in 1956 in Italy."

Brodeur is no stranger to international play. The two-time Stanley Cup winning goaltender, won a silver medal with Canada at the 1996 World Championships. Later that year, he won a silver medal as the backup goalie at the World Cup of Hockey and then in February of 1998, he was a backup goalie for Canada at the Winter Olympics in Nagano.

But what he will be remembered for now is bringing gold back to Canada. That's an honor that will last a lifetime.

"In our country, people talk about things like this team," Brodeur said. "They take the roster apart and then put it back together. Now' we're on top. This team will be remembered like the 1972 Summit Series team."