Concussed Boston Bruins center Marc Savard is having "real memory problems and he's quite worried about it," a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.
Savard was placed on long-term injured reserve in early February with his second concussion in less than a year. He was injured in the Bruins' Jan. 22 game against Colorado, when he was checked into the end boards' glass by former teammate Matt Hunwick. Savard also sustained a concussion against Pittsburgh on March 7, 2010. He did not return from that injury until the second round of the playoffs and missed the first 23 games of this season...In February, Savard said it was too early to decide whether he would be able to return.
"I'm not going to make any decision about my future until I get some more medical stuff done. I've just got to be patient going forward," he said. "My agent talked to me a lot, and he gave me time to think about a lot of things. It's going to be tough, especially watching them play."
Savard's first concussion was the result of a check by Penguins forward Matt Cooke, who is currently suspended for the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for elbowing defenseman Ryan McDonagh of the Rangers in the head. The play led the NHL to outlaw blindside hits to the head.
Savard missed the last 18 games of the regular season but returned for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia.
The Bruins are more familiar than most with the effects of concussions. In 2008, forward Patrice Bergeron went out with a concussion and did not return for almost a full year.
Savard described many of the same symptoms as Bergeron: The way he is sleepy all the time, and how things seem to move slower.
Over the offseason, his post-concussion syndrome returned -- including a bout with depression -- and he missed 23 more games at the start of 2010-11. When he did play, he did not appear to be the same playmaker who led Boston in scoring in his only three healthy seasons with the team.
Matt Cooke is a fuckin piece of shit. His hit was so devastating to Marc Savard you almost forget Savard is still a member of the Boston Bruins. This news is very disheartening. Its been a year since Savard was blindsided by Penguins forward Matt Cooke. He has returned to the ice for a few stints, but clearly was not the same. This is a painful reminder that sports is often more than just wins and losses. Of course the Bruins and their fans miss #91 on the ice. More importantly Savard has three children. Who knows how this has impacted his relationship with them but it can't help. You can say "Hey, injuries are part of the game." This statement would be true. However, a hit like this is just unnecessary. Compare the hit to Chara on Max Pacioretty. Chara preforms that same check anywhere else on the ice and it's a non issue. Cooke preforms the same hit to Savard anywhere on the ice and the consequences are going to be the same. #91's career is remains very much in doubt. While his team plays in the first round of the playoffs Cooke will be watching from home just like Savard. The only difference is one of them will be returning to his team if they make it to the second round. The other will be wondering if he will ever play again.
