No team in NHL history has ever had a group of defensemen as talented and as skilled as the “Big Three” with Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard. Their defensive toughness and offensive prowess propelled the Canadiens to five Stanley Cups between 1972 and 1979. Serge Savard might not have been the flashiest of the three, but his presence, his demeanor and his leadership made him one of the most dominant defensemen of his era.

Savard first donned a Canadiens jersey during the 1966-67 season. Three years later, following two consecutive 31-point seasons and a Conn Smythe Trophy, Savard was considered one of the NHL rising stars.

But the following seasons would test the courage and the character of Savard like no other obstacles would ever do. Between March 1970 and January 1971, he suffered two career-threatening injuries, both to his left leg.

Not only did Savard fully recover from those injuries, he came back to the ice and played in five of the eight games of the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. With Savard in the line-up, Team Canada won four of those games and tied the other. His tenacity was rewarded with the Bill Masterton Trophy awarded to him in 1979.

Savard was as masterful off the ice as he was on the skating rink. As General Manager, he added two more Stanley Cups, in 1986 and 1993, to the eight he won as a player.

Team captain from 1979 to 1981, Savard was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986. His No. 18 was retired on November 18, 2006.