Denis Savard
A dazzling playmaker whose signature spin-o-rama move electrified hockey and defined the Chicago Blackhawks' 1980s era.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1961)·Birthday: February 4·Baby Boomers
Biography
Denis Savard arrived in Chicago as a first-round draft pick in 1980, a wiry center from Quebec whose skating was pure poetry. He didn't just play; he performed, weaving through defenses with a breathtaking blend of speed and improvisation. The 'Savardian Spin-o-rama,' a sudden pirouette that left defenders grasping at air, became his trademark and a highlight-reel staple. For a decade, he was the Blackhawks' offensive engine, piling up points and leading them to multiple deep playoff runs, though a Stanley Cup ring eluded him in Chicago. A later trade to Montreal brought him that ultimate championship in 1993, adding a crowning team achievement to a personal legacy of artistic brilliance on ice. His number 18 hangs from the United Center rafters, a tribute to the man who made hockey in Chicago a spectacle of joy.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Denis was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Denis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Denis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.
- Named one of the NHL's '100 Greatest Players' in its 2017 centennial list.
- Recorded 1,338 points (473 goals, 865 assists) over his 17-season NHL career.
- Won the Stanley Cup in 1993 as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
Did You Know?
His iconic spin-o-rama move is officially named the 'Savardian Spin-o-rama' in hockey lexicon.
He was the third overall pick in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, behind only Doug Wickenheiser and Dave Babych.
After retiring as a player, he served two separate stints as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I just go out there and try to create something.”
