Calgary Flames assistant coach Marc Savard has pledged to fulfill an autograph request he received more than 20 years ago after an unexpected encounter left a young fan disappointed.
Byron Bader, founder of hockeyprospecting.com, took to Twitter on Friday to share the story of a run-in he had with the former Flames forward back in 2002, while Bader was working at a grocery store.
I've told this before…
But when I was 18, I worked at a grocery store and I helped a lady out to her car with her groceries. She opened the door to give something to her husband who was waiting with the kids in the car.
It was Marc Savard when he played for the Flames (Fall… https://t.co/oloId6ihkH
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) July 13, 2023
In his tweet, he described how he assisted a lady with her groceries, only to discover that her husband waiting in the car was none other than Savard, Bader’s favourite player at the time.
“That’s Marc Savard, isn’t it! He’s my favorite player,” he exclaimed. Savard’s wife then offered to secure a signed card for the starstruck fan. Unfortunately, though, the Ottawa native had no more hockey cards left in his car, leaving Bader empty-handed.
“That’s ok Mr. Savard. I’ll catch you next time,” Bader replied.
Little did the NHL draft consultant know that “next time” would be more than decades later, and his tweet would catch the attention of Savard himself, leading to an unexpected reunion between the two.
Upon reading the story, Savard, who recently rejoined the organization, replied to Bader’s Tweet with a pledge to finally fulfill the signing request.
“I’m coming back. Make sure I get you something signed,” he wrote. “My bad.”
I’m coming back make sure I get you something signed.. My bad
— Marc Savard (@MSavvy91) July 14, 2023
While he was only a member of the Flames from 1999 to 2002, Savard played 13 seasons in the NHL, scoring 207 goals and 706 points over 807 games with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Atlanta Thrashers.
The 45-year-old, who spent the last two seasons coaching the Windsor Spitfires, was hired as an assistant to new head coach Ryan Huska’s staff last month.