Bob Sauvé

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size=
played_for = Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Black Hawks
New Jersey Devils
league = NHL
position = Goaltender
catches = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 8
weight_lb = 165
nickname =
nationality = CAN
birth_date = birth date and age|1955|6|17
birth_place = Sainte-Geneviève, QC, CAN
draft = 17th overall
draft_year = 1975
draft_team = Buffalo Sabres
career_start = 1976
career_end = 1989

Robert F. "Bob" Sauvé (born June 17, 1955, in Sainte-Geneviève, Quebec) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, and currently a player agent.

Playing career

After a successful junior career with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Laval Titan, Sauvé was drafted by the NHL's Buffalo Sabres in the 1st round (17th overall) in 1975 NHL Entry Draft. The World Hockey Association's Cincinnati Stingers also selected Sauvé in round 2 (16th overall) in the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft, but his ambition was to play in the NHL. The Sabres selected three goaltenders in the 1975 draft, with Sauvé and Don Edwards being the most noteable. Sauvé played four games for the Sabres during the 1976-77 season but spent the majority of the year with the AHL's Rhode Island Reds, while Edwards was initially the more successful of the two and was the first to stick with the big club in Buffalo. The next season saw Sauvé split time with the Hershey Bears and the Sabres as Edwards' backup.

As the 1978-79 season began, Sauvé entered training camp determined to make the NHL for good. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken finger and began the season in Hershey. After Edwards later suffered a sprained ankle, Sauvé was called up to Buffalo, this time to stay. The goaltending duo of Sauvé and Edwards had an immediate impact on the Sabres. Sauvé led the league in goals against average for the 1979-80 season and was co-recipient of the Vezina Trophy with Edwards in the same season.

Sauvé was traded to the Detroit Red Wings on December 2, 1981, but re-signed with the Sabres as a free agent on June 1, 1982, after Don Edwards was traded to the Calgary Flames. Sauvé was joined in nets by a young phenom just out of high school named Tom Barrasso for the 1983-84 season, and the duo went on to share the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed in 1984-85. Barrasso was always quick to credit Sauvé for not only helping him but for challenging him with his own strong play. Sauvé was dealt by Buffalo to the Chicago Black Hawks in exchange for a 3rd round pick in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. Sauvé spent two uneventful seasons in Chicago before signing with the New Jersey Devils as a free agent on July 10, 1987. After two seasons in New Jersey, Sauvé announced his retirement from the NHL in 1989 due to chronic back problems.

Other

Sauvé's younger brother, forward Jean-François Sauvé, also played in the NHL and was briefly a teammate of his older brother in Buffalo. His son Philippe Sauvé is also a professional goaltender who currently plays in Europe for the Hamburg Freezers.

Sauvé remained active in hockey after retirement, first as the president of the New Jersey Devil's alumni association, then as a goalie coach and later as a player agent. His list of clientele has included many of Quebec's biggest names including Patrick Roy, Vincent Lecavalier, Jocelyn Thibault, Pierre Turgeon, Vincent Damphousse and Simon Gagné.

Awards and achievements

*1979-80: Vezina Trophy
*1984-85: William M. Jennings Trophy

Career statistics

Season Team Lge GP Min GA EN SO GAA W L T Svs Pct-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1971-72 Verdun Maple Leafs QMJHL 33 0 202 0 0 6.01 0 0 0 1213 0.8571972-73 Laval National QMJHL 35 1489 224 0 0 6.40 0 0 0 0 0.0001973-74 Laval National QMJHL 61 0 341 0 0 5.65 0 0 0 0 0.0001974-75 Laval National QMJHL 57 3403 287 0 0 5.06 0 0 0 0 0.0001975-76 Charlotte Checkers SHL 17 979 36 0 2 2.21 11 4 1 531 0.9371976-77 Buffalo Sabres NHL 4 184 11 0 0 3.59 1 2 0 0 0.0001977-78 Buffalo Sabres NHL 11 480 20 0 0 2.50 6 2 0 0 0.0001978-79 Buffalo Sabres NHL 29 1610 100 0 0 3.73 10 10 7 0 0.0001979-80 Buffalo Sabres NHL 32 1880 74 1 4 2.36 20 8 4 0 0.0001980-81 Buffalo Sabres NHL 35 2100 111 2 2 3.17 16 10 9 0 0.0001981-82 Detroit Red Wings NHL 41 2365 165 0 0 4.19 11 25 4 0 0.0001981-82 Buffalo Sabres NHL 14 760 35 0 0 2.76 6 1 5 0 0.0001982-83 Buffalo Sabres NHL 54 3110 179 3 1 3.45 25 20 7 1214 0.8721983-84 Buffalo Sabres NHL 40 2375 138 0 0 3.49 22 13 4 912 0.8691984-85 Buffalo Sabres NHL 27 1564 84 1 0 3.22 13 10 3 497 0.8551985-86 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 38 2099 138 0 0 3.94 19 13 2 1072 0.8861986-87 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 46 2660 159 0 1 3.59 19 19 5 1338 0.8941987-88 New Jersey Devils NHL 34 1803 107 2 2 3.56 10 16 3 714 0.8701988-89 New Jersey Devils NHL 15 720 56 2 0 4.67 4 5 1 275 0.831

ee also

*List of QMJHL seasons
*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons
*NHL Goaltenders

External links

*hockeydb|4784