Childhood Memories: How "King Richard" Brodeur Found His Second Calling in Art
From the Crease to Vancouver Canucks Legendary Status
If you were watching NHL hockey in the early 1980s, you remember “King Richard”. The goalie for the Vancouver Canucks, Richard Brodeur, played like every save meant something. Before his playing days with the Vancouver Canucks, he had already made his mark—winning a Memorial Cup and the Jacques Plante Trophy with the Cornwall Royals, then starring for the Quebec Nordiques in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
When Vancouver acquired him, Richard Brodeur became the heartbeat of the team’s 1982 Stanley Cup run. Fans still talk about Spring 1982—King Richard’s awe-inspiring stops, fierce focus, the way he seemed to carry the entire city of Vancouver on his shoulders. Three Cyclone Taylor Trophies later, Brodeur wasn’t just a goalie anymore. He was part of Canucks folklore.
Cool Fact: Richard Brodeur is the last active NHL player from the WHA's inaugural season (Quebec Nordiques), and the last to have played in all seven seasons of the WHA's existence.
A Hidden Creative Side
What most people didn’t know was that Richard Brodeur had another outlet all along. Between road trips and practices, he painted—quietly, almost secretly. Back then, hockey culture didn’t leave much room for an artistic side, but for “King Richard”, it was a way to slow things down and clear his head.
Cool Fact: Richard Brodeur was selected to play in the 1983 NHL All-Star Game; due to an injury, he couldn't play in the game.
Painting Hockey’s Heartbeat
After retirement, Brodeur leaned fully into that passion. His artwork, especially his Childhood Memories series, captures everything Canadians love about the game of hockey—frozen ponds, snowbanks, and kids chasing the puck under beautiful winter skies. They’re simple, nostalgic, and unmistakably heartfelt.
“King Richard”: A Legacy Beyond the Ice
These days, Brodeur’s story isn’t just about stopping pucks—it’s about what comes after an illustrious professional hockey career.
Cool Fact: In 2010, Richard Brodeur was inducted into the WHA Hall of Fame.
Richard Brodeur found a new way to celebrate the game that helped shaped him throughout his life. And maybe that’s what makes “King Richard” so memorable: he’s still showing us what the game of hockey means, just with a brush instead of a blocker.