Boston has always been known as a hockey town, first and foremost. Despite Boston’s lack of consistent success, the fans always supported the team. No matter how good the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots have been, the citizens of Boston and the surrounding municipalities of Bruins Nation have always dreamed of being a hockey town that gets the recognition it deserves, to be on the level of Montreal or Detroit. However, there are always breaking points. After fans saw a lack of commitment to winning from the ownership, they used their ability to drop revenue to spur change. This lead to, what I like to call, “Boston’s Hockey Renaissance” in the late 2000s.
Boston started to become relevant again in 2008 after a seven-game series against Montreal. Fans started seeing a serious Bruins team again for the first time in years. At the forefront of this revival were four players: Zdeno Chara, Phil Kessel, Tim Thomas, and Marc Savard. Chara provided the defense Boston needed, and a great defenseman is essential to any memorable Bruins team. Kessel was a young rookie, electrifying fans with his speed and shooting ability. Thomas was the everyday man, a 35-year-old goalie that was American and finally getting his shot, which he capitalized on by winning a Stanley Cup. Then, there is Savard. Savard tore up the NHL with the Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets), before signing a big contract with Boston. He became their go-to scorer, and looked like he would be around for years to come. Of those four players, only one is still in Boston.
Most of the stories are pretty standard. Chara still plays with the Bruins and seems like he wants to end his career here. Kessel was traded early into the 2009-10 season to Toronto, but was traded to Pittsburgh in 2015, where he still plays. Thomas, along with Chara, helped Boston to a Stanley Cup in 2011, and retired not long after that. Savard is where this story takes a turn for the tragic.
Savard really was the first glimmer of hope the franchise had seen since the trade of Joe Thornton. He brought energy and excitement to a fan base that had lost its pride. Savard gave his all to the Bruins, but couldn’t reap the benefits of the renaissance that he started. Why couldn’t he? Because he became the poster-boy for the concussion problems that exist in hockey.
In late 2010, Savard was injured by Matt Cooke on a play that is viewed as a cheap shot by any respectable hockey analyst. Savard had a severe concussion, and although he came back for the playoffs that year, even delivering a signature playoff moment, he was never the same.
The next season, after missing the first 23 games, Savard was cleared for play. However, his career would only last another 25 games. He suffered another concussion against the Colorado Avalanche, and the Bruins hastily shut him down for the season. Reports of Post-Concussion Syndrome made the outlook on Savard’s return bleak. Season after season, Savard was placed on injured reserve for his season. Eventually, the Bruins traded his contract—for salary cap reasons—to help teams that needed to be at the cap minimum. Everyone knew that Savard would never play again; his contract was just a piece of paper and the player attached to it was all but retired. That retirement became official on Jan. 22, 2018, seven years after his final game.
While Savard’s playing days are merely a memory in Boston Bruins lore, his impact is felt every day. In a league with a damaged reputation via a pair of lockouts and a team that lost sight of its own history and pride, Savard helped bring hockey back to Boston, one of its most pure markets. He also provides a cautionary tale for player safety. While Cooke wasn’t penalized, fined, or suspended for his hit on Savard, since then, the NHL has taken instances of blindsided and late hits very seriously. The athletes are now educated on concussions as well, and mistakes that Savard made like rushing back too soon haven’t been made since.
While this ending to the career of Savard isn’t surprising, it is a reminder of what happened. Due to concussions and the little training and understanding those around the league had of it, Savard suffered a career-ending injury that wasn’t treated properly with the responsible player went unpunished. While the result is unfortunate, the league has grown because of it. Hopefully Bruins fans will remember Savard as a great player that changed their franchise and as a man that lost everything because he gave his all.