Marc Savard
A supremely creative playmaking center whose brilliant NHL career was tragically cut short by concussion injuries.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: July 17·Generation X
Biography
Marc Savard's hockey career was a story of elite vision and passing genius, persistently overshadowed by the question of what could have been. Drafted in the fourth round, he was always the undersized, overlooked talent who proved his worth with breathtaking playmaking. His hands and hockey IQ were his weapons, allowing him to quarterback power plays and pile up assists for the Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and finally, the Boston Bruins. In Boston, he found his peak, forming a dynamic partnership with Phil Kessel and becoming the offensive catalyst for a rising team. His career-high 96-point season in 2006-07 announced him as one of the league's premier setup men. However, his story took a devastating turn in 2010 after a blindside hit led to a severe concussion. Savard's valiant attempts to return were thwarted by post-concussion syndrome, forcing an early end to his playing days and leaving fans to wonder about the point totals he might have achieved.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Marc was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marc Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Marc's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
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
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Recorded a career-high 96 points (22 goals, 74 assists) in the 2006-07 season with the Atlanta Thrashers.
- Finished sixth in the NHL in scoring during the 2005-06 season with 97 points.
- Was a key offensive catalyst for the Boston Bruins' resurgence in the late 2000s.
- Averaged nearly a point per game over his 13-season NHL career (706 points in 807 games).
Did You Know?
He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot in his first game.
Savard famously gave the puck to Phil Kessel after Kessel's first NHL goal, starting a tradition for the young scorer.
The Boston Bruins kept his name on the Stanley Cup when they won in 2011, despite him not playing in the playoffs due to injury.
After his playing career, he transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant for several NHL teams.
“I saw plays develop three steps before anyone else.”
