Retired Canadiens Defenseman Misses Hockey

A newly-retired Montreal Canadiens defenseman is missing the game.

Apr 14, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (58) congratulates right wing Ivan Demidov (93) after his first career NHL goal against the Chicago Blackhawks in the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens' blueline is going to be a bit younger heading into the 2025-26 season, with David Savard out of the picture, and the longtime NHL defenseman is missing the game, with training camp less than a month away.

David Savard today on his NHL retirement:

“I miss it already. I know I’ll miss it next season…I’ll miss going to the arena & practicing with the guys everyday but you have to realize when your time is up.” pic.twitter.com/EScIBw7RRl

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 9, 2025

The Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec native decided to wrap up his career down the stretch during the 2024-25 season, after suiting up for 870 games over 14 seasons. Savard played the majority of his career in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, after the club drafted him in the fourth round (94 overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft.

Savard was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 12, 2021, in a move to shore up the Bolts' defense brigade to prepare for a deep Stanley Cup run. The move worked wonders for Tampa, who went on to beat the Montreal Canadiens in five games, to secure the cup, which was Savard's first and only one.

After 14 regular season games and 20 playoffs games with Tampa, Savard was left without a contract and didn't fit into the Lightning's plans, so he entered free agency.

The Canadiens presumably saw more than they needed from Savard and signed the Cup-winning unrestricted free agent rearguard to a four-year, $14 million deal. Savard did more of the same for the Canadiens, serving as a depth defender who killed penalties and could log top-four minutes in a pinch.

Apr 30, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (58) hugs teammates after game five of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

But perhaps the most important thing that Savard did was bring an embarrassment of experience to the young Canadiens blueline, and served as a mentor alongside Mike Matheson, helping young guys like Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj and Logan Mailloux to navigate the waters of the professional game.

Savard was steady, consistent and often relied upon by the coaching staff to defend leads late in games, and while he will be missing the game, the Canadiens, despite obvious signs of a decline in footspeed, will miss what No. 58 brought to the ice, but especially with the guys off the ice.

His smart defensive play and great attention to the finer details allowed him to thrive at shutting down plays at the blueline, despite more often than not being one of the slower skaters on the ice. If his defensive stick didn't do the trick, he was unafraid to toss his weight around, and his trademark meat-and-potatoes style ensured he was a mainstay on each NHL team that he played for.

As hard as it is to admit it, Savard is aware that it was time to retire, and maybe there is a player development role that he could fill within the Canadiens organization down the road.

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