BHN Puck Links: Former Boston Bruins Savard Named Head Coach

During his time with the Boston Bruins, Marc Savard was known as something of a coach on the ice when it came to playmaking, power play and harnessing creativity into point production and winning hockey.

So, it shouldn’t really be that much of a surprise that the offensive-minded pivot is delving deeper into the coaching ranks with his new post as the head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. Savard spent time coaching his children in the years following 2010-11 when he was forced into early retirement due to concussions after playing for the Cup-winning Boston Bruins team, and he was an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues during the 2019-20 season.

Savard posted over 700 points in 800 plus career NHL games with four teams and was a two-time All-Star prior to concussions prematurely ending his career, and he’s been a vocal, passionate advocate for concussion awareness as one of the founders of Project 91.

“After coaching with the Blues, this was a direction I knew that I wanted to go in…that I wanted to be a head coach,” said Savard to TSN 1200 in Ottawa. “I’m very happy. I’m very excited. This is something I always wanted to do.

“I’m very lucky enough to have been around the NHL for 15 years and playing for a long time, and I learned a lot. But I think when you ask a lot of NHL players about their most memorable times in hockey, they’ll talk about their junior hockey days. That’s why I’m back where I am.”

Best of luck to Savard as he goes on his coaching journey. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see him again at the NHL continuing something that was short-circuited when Matt Cooke singled him out with an elbow to the head that changed his playing career forever.

Here’s the rest of the BHN Puck Links:

*Charlie Coyle is progressing well from two surgeries to his left knee and is back on the ice readying for Boston Bruins training camp. Encouraging news all around. (Boston Hockey Now)

*With the Pittsburgh Penguins potentially in the market for a center, here’s a look at some NHL pivots that may become available on the trade market. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

*Speaking of trades and NHL centers…the Jack Eichel news has been slow as of late, but it feels like things are going to pick up again on or around Labor Day. (Boston Hockey Now)

*What can the Washington Capitals expect from a full season of big, skilled forward Anthony Mantha after his arrival from Detroit last season. (Washington Hockey Now)

*Derick Brassard signed a super team friendly deal with the Flyers and is happy to get on the ground floor with a young, talented hockey club that looks like they’re headed somewhere good. (Philly Hockey Now)

*Plenty of survey results for Ottawa Senators fans about a new arena, where it should be located and everything else under the sun. (The Athletic)

*Former New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton didn’t think the Tom Wilson incident cost him his gig with the New York Rangers. I’m not so sure I agree with him all things considered. (NBC Sports Washington)

*For something completely different: Apparently somebody won the VaxMillions lottery but didn’t pick up the phone when the lottery called them. Damn, I hope that wasn’t me. (CBS Boston)