Best Save of the Season

December 7, 2008. Between 800 and 1000 unenthusiastic fans mosey in to Blue Cross Arena, expecting the usual.

The Rochester Americans will play their 24th game of the season, three of which they've won. Until their docile mascot "Moose" skates out, you could be convinced it's a Section C high school game. The one to 10 ratio of people to dark blue seats makes the arena look like a planetarium backdrop.

As the Amerks starters take the ice, there is an unfamiliar face in net. Six-foot-three-inch goalie Mike Brodeur, in black pads and mask, takes his Darth Vador look between the pipes.

Amerks lose the opening face-off. Brodeur faces shots, penalties and too many defensive lapses to count, but stays strong. He collapses on the puck like a Venus Fly Trap. Twenty-eight shots against, 28 stops for Brodeur.

For the first time in a long time, Amerks fans, all 800, gave their goalie a standing ovation.

"A debut like that is huge," Brodeur said. "You feel the guys take a deep breath. It's a good way to get on the guys' side right away."

Two months later, turns out Brodeur's early December shutout was no fluke. He seemed to shut down every two-on-one, break away and 5-on-3 the Amerks defense gave up.

In his first 20 games in goal, he won 13 with a save percentage of .931 and goals against average of 2.16. He was named to the AHL All-Star team and was awarded a 1-year contract with the Amerks.

Pretty impressive for a guy who was let go by both the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers' organizations.

Director of Player Personnel for the Amerks parent club the Florida Panthers Jack Birch said, "He has the potential to play at the next level."

As Mike hears Birch's quote, he gives a grin that slightly betrays his classical "who me?" goalie attitude. "It's been my goal since I was 5-years old," he said. "Now getting that chance is a good feeling."

After playing for nine minor league teams in five years and fighting through major back surgery, being signed to a 25-day professional tryout contract with 3-18-0-2 Rochester wasn't bleak, it was an opportunity. "I just wanted to go there and try to turn things around," he said.

Brodeur's success may have as much to do with positioning and rebound control as it does his personality. His eyes don't see turnovers and giveaways, they see the next chance to flash his glove and stick, then wait for the applause.

"I see it as my chance to stop the puck," he said. "You can't get frustrated with that stuff or you aren't going to be good in net."

Good in net, he is. In games Brodeur has not been the Amerks goalie, the team is 4-24 and has given up 112 goals.

When it comes to numbers though, it seems like Mike would rather talk about video games (NHL '09 of course) golf or his favorite Adam Sandler comedies, including "Happy Gilmour."

"Once per round, I do the 'Happy Gilmour' shot," he said laughing enthusiastically, "I've perfected it, 300 yards, right down the middle."

He also claims to shoot around 80 on 18 holes. If his scorecard is correct, Rochester may lose him to the PGA before the NHL.

But for right now, Rochester can't afford to lose him. His goaltending has been amnesia for those still feeling the sting of Rochester losing its long beloved affiliation with the Buffalo Sabers. The only thing to complain about now is finding a parking spot.

It is a joy to see the blue sea of seats colored in with fans wearing red and white. Rochester is a city where parents send their children to school in hockey gloves instead of mittens. Where skating is easier than breathing.

Brodeur may never understand his impact on Rochester and the Amerks franchise, but those who have watched him will never forget.

The Rochester Americans signed Mike Brodeur with nothing to lose. Brodeur signed because no one else would take the risk. One embodied the other in the need for redemption. Even though the they won't make the playoffs this season, Rochestarians can have their redemption and love the Amerks again.

Classless Joe.....

Former Beverly Hills 90210 actress Tori Spelling did it. That idiot who played Screech on Saved By The Bell wrote one. Now Joe Torre, a long-time pillar of tact in Major League Baseball has stooped to a tell-all.

Torre's new book The Yankee Years is apparently filled with more drama than an episode of The Bronx is Burning mixed with Behind the Music's Metallica saga.

A few questions are burning more than the '77 Yankees: why now? And, why have Tom Verducci write the book in third-person narrative?

Maybe Torre had some things to get off his chest, but was ashamed. Maybe he was bitter about the Yankees back-door firing. Or maybe he bought condo in Malibu, scuba gear and a top-notch Yoga instructor to try to fit in to the Los Angeles lifestyle, but couldn't foot the bill.

Or maybe Torre went the Barbra Walters route, saying, "Hey, I'm old and probably won't accomplish anything else, so why not drop a few bomb shells?" Could be, but at least Baawaa Waawaa had the guts to write in first person.

Reports say Torre winds up and tosses everyone from David Wells, to Alex Rodriguez to Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman swiftly under the bus. Great reporting Joe. Isn’t saying Wells is a pain and A-rod a narcissist like calling Dennis Rodman weird and Barry Bonds a liar?

This book is likely similar to Oliver Stone's recent film W. about our 43rd president. It's a bunch of stuff we already knew, rehashed with a few bells and whistles to stir up some old-school controversy to make money.

In this case, Torre is more transparent than Terrell Owens' tear drops.

Torre is taking a nose dive off the pedestal New York Yankee fans built for him. Even those who couldn't forget his pathetic attempts at managing the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals learned to respect Torre. Now, he’s just a wrinkly version of Jose Canseco.

And just like Canseco, he’s bashing the very thing that made him. Canseco came out like some kind of moralist in a Crusade against steroid users, but steroids made him an All-Star and a World Series champion.

Torre sleep-walked his way through four World Series wins. He had the strongest rosters since the Yankees of the 50s and the league’s highest payroll. Those teams practically managed themselves and when they didn’t, Don Zimmer, Torre’s Karl Rove, was there to whisper in Clueless Joe’s ear.

Often you had to wonder if former Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre had to nudge Joe awake when it was time to make a pitching change.

Torre should be writing letters of gratitude rather than hanging out the same dirty laundry that has been hanging from the Yankee clothes line for years now. Before Torre joined the Yankees he had a winning percentage of .471, as a Yankee .605. Think that had anything to do with being handed players like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams?

When it came down to actually having to manage, Torre failed to win for seven straight seasons despite having George’s blank checks.

He should have waited five years after retirement, wrote a nice rose-colored memoir and let it go.

Classless Joe was all set to ride off into the California sun set, likely as a Hall of Fame manager and known as an all-around nice guy. Before two weeks ago, you mention his name to a Yankee fan and they beamed and giggled like a high school cheerleader when James Dean came on. Because of this silly book, instead of James Dean, he’ll be Screech.