David Savard

David Savard (born October 22, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 94th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

David Savard
Savard with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013
Born (1990-10-22) October 22, 1990
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 227 lb (103 kg; 16 st 3 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
NHL team Columbus Blue Jackets
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 94th overall, 2009
Columbus Blue Jackets
Playing career 2010present

Playing career

Savard was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. As a youth, he played in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Collège Antoine-Girouard, and in the 2004 event with the Richelieu Éclaireurs.[1]

Savard was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fourth round, 94th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft after his second season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he played as reliable defenceman with strong defensive skills.

With Columbus in 2013

The following season, by demand from the team that had drafted him, Savard started to support the offence a little more aiming to become a more complete player. Consequently, he was awarded many trophies at the end of his third junior season, such as the Émile Bouchard Trophy rewarding the best QMJHL Defensive defenceman and the Kevin Lowe Trophy awarded to the best QMJHL defenceman, while finishing first league scorer among defencemen, establishing a league record for assists as a defenceman.

In the same year, he was selected to participate to the Subway Super Series, wearing a Quebec jersey in the tournament. He was named the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) best defenceman, recognizing his remarkable season with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL in 2009–10.

The next year, while still being eligible to play for a junior team, the Columbus Blue Jackets assigned him to play with the Springfield Falcons, the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. After an excellent pro training camp, the Blue Jackets decided Savard would progress faster at the AHL, following his high marks in junior hockey the former year.

Savard then donned the Springfield Falcons colours in the American Hockey League during the 2010–11 season where he finished as the team's top scoring defenceman, and second among the league's rookie defencemen.

Savard scored his first career NHL goal on February 7, 2012, against Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Bäckström. After playing 31 games during the 2011–12 season at the age of 21, he was slowed by an injury suffered in December 2012, shortly before the 2012–13 NHL lock-out's resolvement. At the Blue Jackets' camp, he was not able to do justice at the beginning of a season that was going to be shortened, but still managed to be in the line-up for four of the team's 48 games. He spent the majority of the 2012–13 season with Springfield.

On July 15, 2013, as a restricted free agent, Savard re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Blue Jackets.[2]

International career

Savard was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 2015 World Championships, where they won the title for the first time since 2007 with a perfect 10-0 record.[3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2006–07Séminaire St-François BlizzardQMAAA 4410162652 181121310
2007–08Baie-Comeau DrakkarQMJHL 3516722
2007–08Moncton WildcatsQMJHL 3205518
2008–09Moncton WildcatsQMJHL 689354433 10551010
2009–10Moncton WildcatsQMJHL 6413647736 21114158
2010–11Springfield FalconsAHL 7211324318
2011–12Springfield FalconsAHL 444182272
2011–12Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 31281016
2012–13Springfield FalconsAHL 605263140 82358
2012–13Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 40000
2013–14Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 705101528 60444
2014–15Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 8211253671
2015–16Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 654212545
2016–17Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 746172344 50114
2017–18Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 814121632 60000
2018–19Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 828162436 101234
2019–20Columbus Blue JacketsNHL 680111135 100332
NHL totals 557 40 120 160 307 37 1 10 11 14

International

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
2015 Czech Republic
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2015 Canada WC 10 0 4 4 6
Senior totals 10 0 4 4 6

Awards and honours

Award Year
QMJHL
Emile Bouchard Trophy (Best Defenceman) 2010
Kevin Lowe Trophy (Best Defensive Defenceman) 2010
First All-Star Team 2010
CHL Defenceman of the Year 2010

References

  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
  2. "Blue Jackets sign defenseman David Savard to one-year contract". Columbus Blue Jackets. 2013-07-15. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  3. "Canada's National Men's Team wins gold medal at 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship". Hockey Canada. May 17, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Dmitri Kulikov
Emile Bouchard Trophy
2009–10
Succeeded by
Simon Després
Preceded by
Maxime Ouimet
Kevin Lowe Trophy
2009–10
Succeeded by
Andrew Randazzo
Preceded by
Jonathon Blum
CHL Defenceman of the Year
2009–10
Succeeded by
Ryan Ellis
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