Marc Savard Still Suffering But Plans on Returning to Hockey

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Mar 27, 2010

Marc Savard Still Suffering But Plans on Returning to Hockey The man that walked to the podium alongside Peter Chiarelli on Saturday afternoon looked like Marc Savard, but it was obvious upon first sight that the Bruins’ top center was not his usual self.

“I am not feeling myself quite yet. I still don’t have any recollection of the hit,” Savard said, in reference to his collision with Matt Cooke on March 7 that left Savard with a grade 2 concussion.

The hit, of course, did not draw a suspension or any supplemental discipline from the league. NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell explained that it was Cooke’s shoulder — not elbow — that made contact with Savard’s head. Savard disagreed.

“I think it was a play that didn’t need to happen, obviously. To me, it wasn’t a shoulder … I think [it] was more of an elbow, so I think there was attempt to injure there. I was, obviously, very unhappy with what happened and I think it could have been avoided very easily.”

Cooke told reporters in Boston last week that he had tried to contact Savard, but those attempts were unsuccessful. Savard said that he’s not in any rush to talk to Cooke.

“I really don’t, right at the moment, have any interest in talking to him, and that’s just how I feel,” Savard said. “Maybe down the road [I will], but right now, I am not feeling any better, so I would rather just not talk to him.”

Savard said that he has some good days and some bad days, as he still suffers from headaches, has trouble sleeping through the night and gets irritated easily.

“I get pretty mad at things that never used to bother me,” he said.

Savard, 31, made it clear with his comments that he’s eager to return to the ice, but his demeanor made it equally clear that that won’t be any time soon. Still, he showed he still maintains a bit of a sense of humor.

“Obviously, I’d like to get back and help my team — especially on the power play,” he said with a laugh. “I just want to get healthy. I’m getting the fresh air, I’m doing the walking and stuff, but I need a couple clear days before I can think about getting on a bike and stuff like that.”

Head coach Claude Julien said he hoped Savard would be able to return, but he said that a return largely depends on the Bruins’ ability to extend their season.

“There is always hope that he will come back,” Julien said minutes before Savard addressed the media. “Whether that happens or not, we don’t know. We can only stand here and hope. The longer we go, the more hope there is.”

Julien spoke to the difficulty of watching Savard as he struggles to recover from the concussion.

“There has been some improvement. I don’t think it is as quick as we would like, but slowly but surely he is coming around.”

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