Denis Savard

Canadian ice hockey player

Denis Joseph Savard (born February 4, 1961) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey centre. Savard played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Denis Savard
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2000
Born (1961-02-04) February 4, 1961 (age 63)
Pointe Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Chicago Blackhawks
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL Draft 3rd overall, 1980
Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career 1980–1997
Website http://www.savard18.com

He was drafted with the 3rd overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. He was known for his trademark move, the 'Savardian Spin-o-rama', a move where Savard whirled around with the puck in a full rotation which allowed him to beat defenders and goaltenders. The term was actually coined by Danny Gallivan, referencing the move performed by Serge Savard.[1]

On June 29, 1990, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Savard to the Montreal Canadiens for star defenceman Chris Chelios and a second-round pick (Mike Pomichter). The trade was considered to be largely in the Blackhawks' favor as Chelios would produce some of his best seasons as a Blackhawk while Savard's career was on the decline.[2] Savard won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1993.[3]

In the Summer of 1993, he signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he played 1½ seasons.[4] On April 6, 1995, he was traded back to the Blackhawks, for a 1996 sixth-round pick (Xavier Delisle).[5] He retired from playing professional ice hockey on June 26, 1997.[6] His jersey number #18 was retired by the Chicago Blackhawks on March 19, 1998[7] and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 13, 2000.[8]

After he retired, he became the 36th head coach in Chicago Blackhawks history on November 27, 2006.[9] He was fired in 2008.[10]

References

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  1. Rush, Curtis (20 June 2013). "NHL considering banning spin-o-rama shootout move". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2013-07-30. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  2. "Hawks Trade Savard For Chelios". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  3. "Working overtime". Impact! NHL.com's Online Magazine. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  4. "Denis Savard on the spin-o-rama, Patrick Kane vs. Sidney Crosby and illegal sticks (Puck Daddy Interview)". Yahoo! Sports. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  5. "One on One with Denis Savard". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  6. "Savard announces retirement". Today's News-Herald. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  7. "Retired Jerseys: Denis Savard". Chicago Blackhawks. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  8. "Denis Savard – Player Category". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2014-03-26. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  9. "Denis Savard (Chicago Blackhawks - Head Coach)". Chicago Blackhawks. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  10. "Blackhawks fire Savard after 4 games, hire Quenneville". ESPN. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 2014-03-18.

Other websites

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Preceded by
Trent Yawney
Head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks
2006-08
Succeeded by
Joel Quenneville
Preceded by
Darryl Sutter
Chicago Blackhawks captain
1988–89
Succeeded by
Dirk Graham