Richard Brodeur
A goaltender whose acrobatic style and resilience defined the WHA era and captivated Vancouver during an unexpected Stanley Cup run.
Born 1952 (age 74)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: September 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Richard Brodeur's path to hockey prominence was anything but conventional. Standing just 5'7", he relied on reflexes and flair to become a cornerstone of the Quebec Nordiques during the rival World Hockey Association's entire seven-year lifespan. His performances, which earned him the nickname 'King Richard,' were central to the Nordiques' identity, leading them to two Avco Cup finals and a championship in 1977. When the leagues merged, his career seemed to stall until a 1980 trade to the Vancouver Canucks ignited a city. In the 1982 playoffs, Brodeur played the hero, backstopping a Cinderella Canucks squad all the way to the Stanley Cup Final with a series of breathtaking saves that became instant local legend. Though his style was unorthodox, his competitive fire made him a folk hero in two countries and a symbol of an exciting, transitional period in professional hockey.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Richard was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Richard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Richard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Backstopped the Quebec Nordiques to the WHA's Avco Cup championship in 1977.
- Played in every season of the World Hockey Association's existence, one of only a few goalies to do so.
- Led the Vancouver Canucks on a stunning playoff run to the 1982 Stanley Cup Final as their starting goaltender.
- Recorded 23 shutouts over his NHL career with the Canucks and New York Islanders.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Kermit' came from his resemblance to the Muppet character Kermit the Frog.
He authored a biography titled 'King Richard: The Richard Brodeur Story'.
Despite his famous 1982 run, he never won the NHL's Vezina Trophy as best goaltender.
He was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
“They said I was too small, so I played bigger than all of them.”
