In their 30-year history, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had a number of players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. While Martin St. Louis is the Lightning player most think of as being connected to that honor, Denis Savard was the first player to wear the Lightning jersey and get inducted into the Hall of Fame. While better known as a standout for the Chicago Blackhawks and as a member of the Montreal Canadiens 1993 Stanley Cup Champions, Savard did play in 105 games for the Lightning over a season and a half from 1994 to 1995.
Throughout his 17-year NHL career, Savard was known for his trademark move, the ‘Savardian Spin-o-rama’ (a term actually coined by Danny Gallivan, referencing the move performed by Savard’s distant cousin Serge Savard), which entailed Savard whirling around with the puck in a full rotation to defeat defenders and goaltenders alike.
Savard’s Pre-Lightning Playing Career
Heading into the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, the Montreal Canadiens held the first-overall pick, and many fans hoped the Canadiens would use it to draft Savard, a native of Gatineau, Quebec. Instead, the Canadiens drafted Doug Wickenheiser, and Savard was chosen third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. He was the highest-drafted player in Blackhawks’ history until the organization drafted Patrick Kane with the first-overall pick in 2007.
Savard jumped right into the NHL with Chicago for the 1980-81 season, recording 28 goals and 75 points in 76 games as a rookie and finishing fifth in the Calder voting. This was the foundation for his resume, which eventually put him in the Hockey Hall of Fame during his first fabulous run in Chicago. He spent most of this time on a line with Al Secord and Steve Larmer.
In June, 1990, the Blackhawks made a very bold move and traded Savard to his hometown Canadiens for defenseman Chris Chelios and a second-round pick in the 1991 NHL Draft. The move paid off for both teams as Chelios became a blue line fixture for the Blackhawks while Savard helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1993.
Savard Joins the Lightning
After winning the Cup, Montreal did not pick up the one-year option on Savard’s contract, and he signed as a free agent with the Lightning for their second season after expansion. While his hockey skills were in decline, Savard was praised for being a positive influence in the locker room for a team still struggling to get wins. He wore the “A” for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.
Savard recorded 18 goals and 46 points in 74 games in his first season and followed that up with six goals and 17 points in 31 games in 1994-95. The Lightning were still a struggling team, and they traded Savard to Chicago for his second stint with them at the trade deadline for a 1996 sixth-round pick.
Savard’s Post-Lightning Career
Savard finished out his career with the Blackhawks, recording another 26 goals and 83 points in 145 games during that span before announcing his retirement at the conclusion of the 1996-97 season. His final career numbers totalled 1,196 games played, 473 goals, and 1,338 points. He added 66 goals and 175 points in 169-career postseason games.
Shortly after retiring as a player, Savard began coaching with the Blackhawks in December, 1997. On Nov. 27, 2006, Savard was named interim head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks after Trent Yawney was fired midseason. He was commended for leading a young Blackhawks team within three points of a playoff berth during his second season as coach. The Hawks finished just one victory away from the .500 mark in 2007–2008. The 40 wins in 2007–08 marked the first time the club had reached the 40-win mark in six years.
On Oct. 16, 2008, just four games into the season, Savard was fired as the Blackhawks coach. He was replaced by Joel Quenneville, former coach of the Colorado Avalanche, who was recently hired as a scout for the Blackhawks’ organization. In 147 games as coach, Savard posted a 65–66–16 record.
Savard currently serves as an ambassador for the Blackhawks organization. He also owns a frozen pizza line, Savy’s, that serves the Chicago area.
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While his contributions to the Lightning on the ice were not that impactful, he was a recognizable name for the young franchise and ended up being the first Hall of Famer to play for the Lightning. He was followed by four other players to date, with more likely to come as some current Lightning players wrap up their careers in the coming years.
