Marc Savard hasn’t played a game in the NHL since January 22, 2011 as his career was brought to an end by a string of concussions, but he remains involved with the game after dealing with his frustrations and pain beyond what is simply felt on the ice. Savard’s life took a downward spiral for the worst, but he has found himself once more and is dedicated to helping the sport and awareness of concussions improve in the future
In a profile story on Savard’s life after the NHL published by The Boston Globe, Savard says he will donate his brain to science when he dies. The hope is scientists will be able to use his brain to learn more about brain injuries and the long-lasting effects of CTE so many hockey and football players have experienced over the years. We are already learning more and more today, but there is still so much to be learned for athletes in both sports, as well as other sports.
Savard takes this subject very seriously after being knocked off the ice by brain injuries and seeing friends of his suffer as well. When Savard received advice from as many doctors as he did following his last hit in the NHL, he knew there were no more playing days to be had.
“I saw probably 10 doctors, and nine of them said it ain’t worth it,’’ Savard said. “So it ain’t worth it. And that was it.”
Savard had a hard time stepping away from the game, and he became a bitter person at times, demonstrating just how hard this can be for professional athletes.
“I was living in a backward kind of world. I was sleeping from 5 a.m. till 10 p.m. or midnight and kind of getting up in the nighttime, and I was very irritable, unbelievably irritable. Didn’t want to talk to anybody. I was alienating people that were trying to help. It was a tough time.”
Savard is now the head coach of the Peterborough Minor Bantam AAA Petes in Canada, a youth league team. Coaching kids has helped him keep his love for the game going strongly and allowed him to escape from some of the battles he had as a player.
“Just doing this [coaching] has been a breath of fresh air for me,” Savard explained. “Whether it’s around the coaching staff or these kids, it’s great to get out and joke and have some fun and compete.”
