New Jersey Devils: Why Age Is Nothing but a Number to Martin Brodeur

Martin Brodeur has been a New Jersey Devil since 1992, but he still manages to be successful as he ages. This past season, Brodeur and the Devils made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Being 40 may not seem that old in certain careers, but when you're a goaltender who's constantly moving around and having to stay fit, it's hard to remain successful.

After this season, it was unaware as to whether or not Brodeur's NHL career was over. Twenty years is a long time to be devoted to one franchise, but Brodeur recently signed a two-year, $9 million contract to ensure that he will be the starting goalie for the Devils, at least until the 2014-2015 season.

Age is a factor when it comes to certain players, but there's a rare group of athletes that doesn't view age as anything but a number. Golf pro Jack Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986 at 46 years old, boxer George Foreman became the oldest fighter to win the World Heavyweight crown at age age 45, and during the 2004 MLB season, 40-year-old pitcher Randy Johnson became the oldest player ever to throw a perfect game. 

These men were all older than your average athlete, but they defied the norm and managed to accomplish many things that some young players never do during their career.

Martin Brodeur will come out with a vengeance next season after losing to the Los Angeles Kings in the final round of the Stanley Cup. Brodeur doesn't seem to be worried about getting older, weaker or facing retirement.

All that's notably on his mind is coming out strong for the Devils and proving to the world that you don't need to be a young gun to be successful in the NHL.