PUTTIN' ON THE FOIL!
This is my blog for hockey fun. I dont write long articles on hockey things, I just love to share videos, pictures and hockey history. Don't expect a lot of insight, just fun.
The NHL draft is held at the Forum in Montreal for the first time and the Chicago Blackhawks have the #3 overall pick. The Blackhawks got the pick from the Quebec Nordiques from a trade on June 9th 1979 in which the BlackHawks promised not to take Real Cloutier in the 1979 draft.
With their pick the 'Hawks drafted Montreal Juniors center Denis Savard, the 1980 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) MVP with 63 goals, 118 assist (181 points) in 72 games.
Today is the 50th birthday of Chicago Blackhawk great and former Blackhawk coach Denis Savard.
Drafted in the first round, 3rd overall in the 1980 NHL draft by the Blackhawks. He was the highest drafted player in Blackhawks history until Patrick Kane was taken first overall in 2007. He soon set the now broken Blackhawks rookie record for points with 75.
After 10 seasons with the 'Hawks Savard was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for future 'Hawks captain and defenseman Chris Chelios. He then signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay Lightning in 1993 and then was traded back to the Blackhawks in 1995 and finish his playing career where it started in Chicago by retiring in 1997.
He is 3rd in points Blackhawks history behind Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita with 1338.
He was the 26th player to reach 1000 points in NHL history on March 11 1990, the second player to reach that mark in the 1990s behind Edmonton Oiler Jari Kurri, who got number 1000 in January 1990.
His jersey number 18 was retired by Chicago in 1998 and he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.
He would be named the headcoach for the Blackhawks for the 2006/07 replacing Trent Yawney.
Savard was relieved of the coaching duties 4 games into the 2008-2009 season, being replaced by current head coach Joel Quenneville.
