Martin Brodeur is coming home. He knew this day would come eventually, because when an athlete achieves at such a high level that a franchise erects a statue in his honor outside its arena, it's always a safe bet that he'll always have a job waiting for him, too.

But this job?

And this soon?

Brodeur didn't expect that. He is returning to the Devils as executive vice president of business development, NJ Advance Media has learned, a role that takes him away from hockey operations but immerses him in the business side of the sport in a way he wouldn't have imagined when he retired.

He doesn't know where it will lead. Brodeur was often compared to his contemporary in baseball, Derek Jeter, during his playing career, and he has watched from a far as the Yankees legend has transitioned into an ownership role in Miami. But Brodeur laughed at the idea that he's following that path.

"I told (Devils) ownership when we talked, I just want to take baby steps into this," Brodeur said in a phone interview. "I want to make sure I enjoy it. I want to make sure that I'm able to be helpful also, and not just be 'the face' (of the team). I want to work at it as hard as I can and be committed to it. That's the way I did it when I played hockey and it won't be different now."

He will report directly to Hugh Weber, the gregarious team president, which means that Devils fans are likely to see a lot of Brodeur in the Prudential Center next season. He isn't sure exactly where his new role will take him, but few people know this market or fan base better than he does.

Brodeur watched the Devils transform from a "Mickey Mouse franchise" -- that's Wayne Gretzky's label -- to a dynasty on the ice, winning the Stanley Cup three times with him in the net. He will be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame this fall thanks to the 691 victories he amassed in his career, all but three with the Devils, a record that isn't likely to be broken.

He also has an ice-level seat for the biggest frustration with this franchise, that the great success didn't translate into a thriving business. The Devils were a mess off the ice in his later seasons with the team, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the face of the franchise.

"Obviously, with all the success, you wish the organization would have been in a little bit better shape at times," Brodeur said. "For us, when I left things got a little lean, but I'm loving what they're doing to bring back the interest of fans. These guys are getting back to the level that they'll be competitive while having the ownership that will go the next mile."

Brodeur built a relationship with Josh Harris and David Blitzer, the team's co-owners, before he left to become an assistant general manager with the Blues. He has known Devils GM Ray Shero for years, making this transition a comfortable one for everyone.

He also knows most of the Devils best customers. This is a tight and loyal fan base, and Brodeur, who settled into a comfortable life in New Jersey where he could be as close to an "average guy" as any star athlete in history, developed relationships with plenty of the team's fans.

"When you play hockey, you don't realized how much it takes to put a team together and the business people around the team, what they do to get the franchise to the next level," Brodeur said.

"Even before I retired in New Jersey, I was very interested in that side of it. I was picking Lou (Lamoriello)'s brain a lot about it, so when this opportunity came along, I said I've learned what the hockey part is, there will be a learning curve with the business part, but I'm up for the challenge and the Devils, from the conversations I've had, believe I am too."

Few athletes in history are more associated with one team than he is with the Devils, so the greatest goalie in NHL history always knew it was a matter of time before he came home to New Jersey. That time is now.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.