The Canadian | Serge Savard disappointed with the treatment reserved for the Elders

Serge Savard has the Montreal Canadiens tattooed on his heart. It’s no secret either that he sometimes has difficulty recognizing his team, recognizing his family. For him, ignoring the Old Canadians and evolving without a captain is not worthy of the most glorious of hockey teams.

Nicholas Richard
The Press

While Marc Bergevin was in office as general manager, Savard never hid his disappointment at seeing that the gap between the former players and the organization then in place was widening. The legendary Salon des Anciens had lost its essence.

On Tuesday, the six-time Stanley Cup winner (and two others as general manager) held the third edition of the Serge Savard Invitational, at Le Mirage golf club, for the benefit of student athletes from the University of Sherbrooke.

Asked whether he had perceived a difference in the treatment reserved for Old Canadians since the arrival of the new management led by Kent Hughes, Savard replied with a word, followed by a kind of discouragement: “Bof…”

Although, in his opinion, the Habs Alumni Association remains the strongest in the entire National Hockey League, there are still bridges to rebuild with the new administration. Under the Bergevin era, the general manager had essentially excluded them from the team’s entourage, and it was even necessary for the Alumni to make a detour through the press room to get to the show, so much access had been reduced. .

Fortunately for Les Anciens Glorieux, Chantal Machabée, vice-president of communications for the team, is working hard to ensure that the legacy remains intact and that it becomes as important as it once was. “Chantal Machabée makes it a priority and she understands the situation of the Elders. I think it will get better, but there has to be a will from the hockey department, because in an organization like the Canadiens, it is the hockey department that leads, ”explained the 76-year-old man.

He still believes that it is essential to pass the torch, so that the players of the current edition are in contact with the Alumni and so that they can feel a sense of belonging to the history of the club. The Canadian had also organized a meeting between Yvan Cournoyer and Cole Caufield, in particular, at the end of the last season.

Another year without a captain?

The famous number 18 was captain of the Habs for two seasons, between 1979 and 1981. Probably one of the greatest honors he received in his career. Especially since at the time, the captain was elected after a vote of the players. “Unfortunately, the organization has broken the tradition that there was here, which was to have the players vote to elect the captain. It’s not up to us to decide who should be captain. It’s inside the locker room. It’s always been like that. »

Savard continued this tradition when he served as the team’s general manager between 1983 and 1995.

Until proven otherwise, the Canadian has no captain since the departure of Shea Weber. “Last year, there was a captain who wasn’t there, we knew he wouldn’t be there, we knew he wouldn’t come back, he was captain and we didn’t name any. others,” noted Savard.

It’s not the first time the team could start the season without a captain. This had been the case in 2009-2010 and in 2014-2015 in recent history.

In a young team like the one that will be on the ice next season, identifying a leader could be beneficial, believes the member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. On the other hand, he is also of the opinion that each player must do his part. “You need 20 leaders. Everyone should be a leader in their own way. It doesn’t take a “C” or an “A” to show leadership. Guy Lafleur never got a letter. It’s probably a mistake, but it never bothered him. »

Furthermore, the 10^e hole at Le Mirage golf club was laid out in homage to the Blond Demon, who died earlier this year. Pictures were displayed on the tee boxes, a gigantic 10 had been formed with balls at the start of the fairway, the flag also showed Lafleur’s number, and a hockey goal had been set up at the end of the hole.