There was tangible disappointment in Chicago when Denis Savard was fired four games into the 2008-09 season.
Savard was one of the most popular Blackhawks of all time, perhaps just below legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, and he appeared to have some ability as a head coach. The Blackhawks were a losing team (24-30-7) when he took over behind the bench early in the 2006-07 season, but the team showed significant improvement in 2007-08 by finishing 40-34-8.
That was the same year that a pair of rookies named Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane joined the team. It seemed like good times were around the corner for the Blackhawks, and Savvy would help them get there.
But the rug got pulled out from under Savard's legs in 2008-09. The Blackhawks fired him just as the season was getting underway and brought in veteran head coach Joel Quenneville.
It turned out to be a brilliant move by former Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon—who also drafted Toews and Kane—because Quenneville was simply a much better and more experienced leader than Savard.
This was no insult toward Savard; it was just a sm ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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