NEW JERSEY - Martin Brodeur became a U.S. citizen Tuesday but that won't mute his desire to be Team Canada's No. 1 goalie in pursuit of a gold medal.

Martin Brodeur

Photograph by : Grant Halverson

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Brodeur may make his home in the States but when it comes to the international hockey scene, Brodeur is all Canada. And all business, too.

Much will be made of the Roberto Luongo versus Brodeur matchup Wednesday because of its supposed Olympic implications. But, seemingly ageless at 37 years old, Brodeur is fresh off of a November which all but locked up his spot as Team Canada's top netminder.

Brodeur will start Wednesday against the Canucks on a 8-2-1 run. He was just named the NHL's second star of the week. In 11 November games he posted a 1.67 GAA and a .939 save percentage.

"It's a challenge to play against Roberto but I don't think I'd put it like I'm going after Team Canada's (No. 1 job)," Brodeur said. "I don't see that two-and-a-half months before the tournament this will be a decisive day for us on Wednesday.

"I try to win every game and I see it as a big challenge to play against one of the top goalies and he's definitely one of the top goalies in the league. I know people will talk about it. But by Thursday at 2 o'clock everyone is going to forget what happened. Like always.

"But it's fun."

Reunited this season with defensively obsessed head coach Jacques Lemaire, Brodeur is putting up numbers that put some distance between him and the other goalies who were invited to Team Canada's offseason camp, including Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward.

He has the best save percentage, goals against average and winning percentage. Not a bad trifecta.

Most expected Brodeur to thrive again under Lemaire, but it is remarkable he's been able to be this consistent for this long. He just surpassed Hall of Famer Patrick Roy for most minutes played.

It's not like Brodeur needed to outpace the other netminders to convince Steve Yzerman's crew he should be the starter. His body of work speaks for itself. In 17 seasons, he's won three Stanley Cups and 98 playoff games. Luongo has won 11.

Brodeur said Tuesday he could see himself playing into his 40s and past his current deal which takes him through the 2011-12 season (he will turn 40 then).

As for playing for Canada again in 2014, if NHL players participate, Brodeur was coy. But if he does decide to play, it will have to be for Canada, despite his dual citizenship. According to IIHF rules, once a player participates in a an IIHF-sanctioned tournament, he can not switch countries.

Brodeur said he wanted his U.S. citizenship because he's spent his entire adult life in New Jersey, except for the two months every year he goes home to Quebec.

"All my kids are American, and I make my home here," Brodeur said. "This is where I live most of the time ... It was a big day.

"My life is here. My grownup life. Everything I know about being a grown up is from being in New Jersey."

Brodeur took his citizenship test Tuesday morning before making it to practice. He aced the first six questions to pass.

jbotchford@theprovince.com