Serge Savard

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Serge Savard
{{post-nominals|OC|CQ}}

| image = Serge Savard 2019.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| alt =

| caption = Savard in 2019

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|1|22|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 210

| position = Defence

| shoots = Left

| played_for = Montreal Canadiens
Winnipeg Jets

| ntl_team = CAN

| career_start = 1966

| career_end = 1983

| halloffame = 1986

}}

Serge Aubrey Savard {{post-nominals|list=OC CQ}} (born January 22, 1946) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He also served as the Canadiens' Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations and as their general manager. He is a businessman in Montreal, and is nicknamed "The Senator." In 2017 Savard was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.{{cite web|title=100 Greatest NHL Players|url=https://www.nhl.com/fans/nhl-centennial/100-greatest-nhl-players| publisher = NHL|access-date=January 27, 2017|date=January 27, 2017}}

Playing career

Savard played minor league hockey with the Montreal Junior Canadiens and the Omaha Knights. He made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens in 1966-67. In 1968–69, his second full NHL season, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player, the first defenceman to do so. In fifteen seasons with the Canadiens, Savard played on seven Stanley Cup championship teams: 1967-68, 1968-69, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, and 1978-79, the most by any defenseman. In 1978-79, he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance and dedication to the game. Savard played the last two seasons of his career with the Winnipeg Jets before retiring in 1983. He was the second last active player of the Original Six era. (Wayne Cashman was the last, as he and the Boston Bruins advanced further in the playoffs that year than the Jets did.)

Savard was known for the "Savardian Spin-o-rama", a quick pivoting turn with the puck done in order to evade opponents; the term was coined by sportscaster Danny Gallivan. {{efn|It was not named after Denis Savard, who was adept at the same manoeuvre, as many have thought.}}{{cite web |url=http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep198603.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027085358/http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep198603.shtml |archive-date=2011-10-27 |title=Legends of Hockey – Spotlight – One on One with Serge Savard}} Savard has said that it was Doug Harvey, a Montreal defenseman whom Savard idolized, who created the move which inspired him.Legends of Hockey:Serge Savard. YouTube video.

Savard played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. He was in the starting lineup for games 2 and 3 in Toronto and Winnipeg. He suffered a hairline fracture in his leg which forced him to sit out games 4 and 5. He returned to the lineup for the last three games, and was the only Canadian player to play in the 4 wins, and 1 tie game, without having played in a game they lost.{{Cite web|url=http://www.1972summitseries.com/savard.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020707225158/http://www.1972summitseries.com/savard.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 7, 2002|title = #23 Serge Savard}}

Post-playing career

After Savard retired as a player, he was named the general manager of the Canadiens, and served as the general manager of the Sherbrooke Canadiens of the American Hockey League. Savard won the Calder Cup with Sherbrooke in 1985. He was the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens when they won the Stanley Cup in 1985-86 and 1992-93 .

In 1994 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2004, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. He is currently the chairman of the annual Canada Day festivities in Montreal.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} He lived a few years in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec. His son Marc ran unsuccessfully in the 2004 Canadian federal election for the Liberal Party in the riding of Saint-Bruno-Saint-Hubert .{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

In 1998, he was ranked number 81 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.{{cite web |last1=Kay |first1=Jason |title=THE TOP 100 NHL PLAYERS OF ALL-TIME, THROWBACK STYLE |url=http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/the-top-100-nhl-players-of-all-time-throwback-style |website=thehockeynews.com |access-date=June 16, 2018 |date=April 2, 2015 |quote=In 1997, to celebrate our 50th anniversary, The Hockey News compiled and released an authoritative list of the Top 50 Players of All-Time......81. Serge Savard}}

Since 1993, Savard has been a partner in a firm of real-estate developers, Thibault, Messier, Savard & Associates, based in Montreal.{{cite web |title=Serge Savard |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=1916527&privcapId=2985453 |website=bloomberg.com |access-date=June 16, 2018}}

In September 2004, Savard was arrested in Montreal under suspicion of drunk driving. He pleaded not guilty in November 2004, but changed his plea to guilty in May 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=e0d5a5c2-170d-4b67-908a-2da5e82d77de&k=28867 |title=Savard pleads guilty to drunk driving |access-date=2006-06-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106194635/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=e0d5a5c2-170d-4b67-908a-2da5e82d77de&k=28867 |archive-date=2012-11-06 }}

On November 18, 2006, the Montreal Canadiens retired his jersey number 18 in a ceremony at the Bell Centre.{{cite press release |title=Canadiens to retire the jerseys of Serge Savard and Ken Dryden in 2006-07 |url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/canadiens-to-retire-the-jerseys-of-serge-savard-and-ken-dryden-in-2006-07/c-489219 |website=NHL.com |access-date=June 16, 2018 |date=September 20, 2006}}

In April 2012 after the dismissal of Pierre Gauthier, Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson called upon Savard to assist and advise him in the team's search for a new general manager.

Savard was part-owner in a resort called El Senador located in Cayo Coco, Cuba until it was sold in 2005.{{cite web |title=Serge Savard vend sa participation dans un hôtel de Cuba

|url=http://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2005/12/16/serge-savard-vend-sa-participation-dans-un-hotel-de-cuba|website=tvanouvelles |access-date=June 16, 2018 |date=December 16, 2005|language=fr}} The name was a Spanish translation of his nickname.

Savard has been a longtime fan of harness racing.{{Cite news |author=Perry Lefko |date=2009-08-25 |title=Serge Savard on the right track |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/serge-savard-on-the-right-track/article_63930270-3cf9-501f-8c71-3d8e825973b8.html |access-date=2023-10-14 |newspaper=Toronto Star }}{{Cite news |date=2009-09-04 |title=Savard seeks standardbred success -CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/savard-seeks-standardbred-success/article4214591/ |access-date=2023-10-14}} He has co-owned many successful horses, including Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Shadow Play{{Cite news |title=Canadiens legend Serge Savard finds success as owner of Shadow Play |work=The Hockey News |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/canadiens-legend-serge-savard-finds-success-as-owner-of-shadow-play |access-date=2023-10-14}} and Meadowlands Pace champion Lawless Shadow.{{Cite web |title=Lawless Shadow declared Meadowlands Pace winner after DQ |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/horseracing/2021/07/17/lawless-shadow-declared-meadowlands-pace-winner-after-dq/47715555/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=USA TODAY }}

Awards

Won Stanley Cup — eight as a player (1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979), and two as a manager (1986, and 1993), all with the Montreal Canadiens
Won Conn Smythe Trophy — 1969
Named an NHL Second-Team All-Star — 1979
Played in 4 NHL All-Star Games — 1970, 1973, 1977, 1978
Played in the 1979 Challenge Cup
Won Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy — 1979
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame — 1986
In 1998, he was ranked number 81 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;"
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Playoffs
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
1963–64	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA-Jr.	56	3	31	34	72	17	1	7	8	30
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1965–65	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA-Jr.	56	14	33	47	81	7	2	3	5	8
1964–65	Omaha Knights	CPHL	2	0	0	0	0	4	0	1	1	4
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1965–66	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA-Jr.	20	8	10	18	33	10	1	4	5	20
1966–67	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	2	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1966–67	Houston Apollos	CPHL	68	7	25	32	155	5	1	3	4	17
1966–67	Quebec Aces	AHL	—	—	—	—	—	1	0	0	0	2
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1967–68	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	67	2	13	15	34	6	2	0	2	0
1968–69	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	74	8	23	31	73	14	4	6	10	24
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1969–70	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	64	12	19	31	38	—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	37	5	10	15	30	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1971–72	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	23	1	8	9	16	6	0	0	0	10
1972–73	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	74	7	32	39	58	17	3	8	11	22
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1973–74	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	67	4	14	18	49	6	1	1	2	4
1974–75	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	80	20	40	60	64	11	1	7	8	2
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	71	8	39	47	38	13	3	6	9	6
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	78	9	33	42	35	14	2	7	9	2
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1977–78	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	77	8	34	42	24	15	1	7	8	8
1978–79	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	80	7	26	33	30	16	2	7	9	6
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1979–80	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	46	5	8	13	18	2	0	0	0	0
1980–81	Montreal Canadiens	NHL	77	4	13	17	30	3	0	0	0	0
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1981–82	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	47	2	5	7	26	5	0	0	0	2
1982–83	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	76	4	16	20	29	3	0	0	0	2
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 1,040 ! 106 ! 333 ! 439 ! 592 ! 130 ! 19 ! 49 ! 68 ! 88

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:50em"

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

1972

| Canada

| SS

| 5

| 0

| 2

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1976

| Canada

| CC

| 7

| 0

| 3

| 0

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan=3 | Senior totals

! 12

! 0

! 5

! 0

Notes

References

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060902150025/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/spot_oneononep198603.htm "One on One with Serge Savard"] by Kevin Shea, December 16, 2003, retrieved August 10, 2006