SPORTS FLASHBACK 2003: Hockey legend Serge Savard thrills fans at Rat River Classic

Real Cure, who doubles as the mayor of St Pierre Jolys and is the owner of Rat River Golf at St Pierre, has pulled it off again as he hosted the Fifth Annual Rat River Celebrity Golf Classic last week, with Montreal Canadiens legend Serge Savard as the guest of honour.

The tournament, with a full field of more than 150 players, is a fund-raiser for the CNIB. Savard was welcomed at the first tee by tournament coordinator Heather Cure and four-year-old George Lafleche, a client of the CNIB.

The golf course owner, a diehard Canadiens’ fan, started the tournament five years ago to raise money for the charity supporting the vision-impaired. The guests at the Rat River Celebrity Golf Classic over the years have been some of the most storied figures of Montreal Canadiens hockey, including Yvan Cournoyer, Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau, Gump Worsley and in 2003, Serge Savard,

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986, Savard spent 17 seasons in the NHL, 15 with the Canadiens, winning eight Stanley Cups along the way. The Canadiens won two more Stanley Cups during the 12 years Savard was their manager, including their most recent one, a decade ago in, 1993.

Savard, now 57, who was known as one of Montreal’s Big Three defensive stars along with Larry Robinson and Guy Lapointe, says he doesn’t do many of these charity events. He agreed to come to Manitoba because he loved the two years he spent with the Jets, and feels a bond to the area.

“I consider myself the luckiest man in the world,” Savard told the golfers at the closing banquet at the St Pierre Recreational Hall. “God gave me the ability to play hockey; I had the chance to play with the best players in the world and the best organization in the world, I spent 33 years in the Montreal Canadiens organization.”

Savard says participating in and winning the Canada-Russia series in 1972 was the highlight of his career, He also believes the 1976 Team Canada that squared off against the Russians was the best hockey team ever, and in the same breath said Bobby Orr was the best player in the history of the game.

Savard retired from the Canadiens following the 1981 season, but came out of retirement later that fall as his friend John Ferguson (Jets GM) called him every day to come out of retirement to come play for the Jets.

“I’m glad I did, Those were two of the best years of my life, joining 18-year-old superstar Dale Hawerchuk, the best player on the team at only 18.”

And of course the state of the game came up for discussion. Savard suggested fans get bored with low scoring games.

In 1993, when the Canadiens won their last Cup, there were more than 20 players in the league with 100 points or more, today there are one or two.

“There is something wrong with the game when a fourth line player has as much success as a first line player.”

Savard, whose highest paid season was $200,000 in his final year with the Jets, took a shot at Tie Domi’s $1.8 million salary as an example of skyrocketing salaries.

Savard drew a round of laughter when he made reference to the extravagance of former Edmonton GM Glen Sather.

“When I was with the Canadiens, Glen Sather would give me shit every time I signed a player. He thought the salary was too high, now look what he’s doing in New York.”