Martin Brodeur has lent his name and his expertise to a new line of Sher-Wood goaltending equipment and he's looking forward to battle-testing the new gear.

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Devils' Martin Brodeur (right) gets instructions from his father, Denis Brodeur, on how to pose for a photo during a press conference in Montreal yesterday.

Photograph by : Montreal Gazettte

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That opportunity will come next month when Brodeur joins 44 other hopefuls at the Team Canada training camp for the 2010 winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

"It should be a great time," Brodeur said yesterday after a news conference to announce his multi-year endorsement deal with the Sherbrooke-based equipment manufacturer. "Every time they have these kind of camps in the middle of the summer, it gives you the opportunity to know the players, especially now that I'm getting a little older and the team's getting a little younger. There's a lot of kids I don't know."

Brodeur has been The Man for the past two Olympics. He backstopped Canada to a gold medal at Salt Lake City in 2002, but shared in the disappointment in 2006 at Turin, where Canada finished out of the medals after losing to Russia in the quarterfinals.

Brodeur shrugged off a suggestion that the failure in Italy would increase the pressure on Canada this time around.

"I think there's always pressure in Canada to bring back the gold and you wouldn't have it any other way," Brodeur said. "We'll hopefully learn from Turin. It will be a little different with a new group of players with some of the young players who are dominating the game today."

Brodeur is the all-time NHL leader in victories, but he's 37 and coming off elbow surgery. He'll face a challenge for the No. 1 job from Roberto Luongo and youngsters Cam Ward and Marc-Andr? Fleury.

"I'm all about competition so, for me, that I have some young players pressuring me to take my job, that will make me accountable and make me a better goalie," Brodeur said.

"Because I was there before, everybody gives you that status (as No. 1), but I don't feel like that. I'm there to earn my job."

Brodeur grew up in St. Leonard as a Canadiens' fan and he watched with interest as the team made wholesale changes this summer.

"Everyone knew there would be changes because there were only 10 or 11 guys under contract, but they definitely made a big bang signing some free agents."

Brodeur is familiar with two of the newcomers because Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez were his teammates in New Jersey.

"Gionta is a small guy who plays big and the fans will appreciate his efforts," Brodeur said.

"He gets dirty in tough situations to score goals. I think they're trying to relive him scoring 48 goals in New Jersey alongside Scott Gomez," Brodeur added.

"Gomer is an exciting player to watch, a great skater, a great passer. He wants to be the main attraction. I think that's one of the reasons why he wanted to go to New York. He wanted to be in a place where he could do his thing and I'm sure it will be the same in Montreal. He's a little bit like (Alex) Kovalev. He's a guy who's going to bring the puck from the goal line all the way to their zone and I think the fans will appreciate that."

Brodeur also is looking forward to a change in New Jersey with the return of head coach Jacques Lemaire.

"We had such a great experience the first time around with Jacques and everybody's happy," Brodeur said. "We have a lot of young players that are successful and having Jacques coaching them will improve the way they play the game."