Bob Sauvé

Robert F. Sauvé (born June 17, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.

Early life Sauvé was born in Sainte-Geneviève, Quebec. As a youth, he played in the 1967 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from North Shore.

Career After a successful junior career with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Laval National, Sauvé was drafted by the NHL's Buffalo Sabres in the first 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 notable. 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. 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. He suffered a broken finger and began the season in Hershey. After Edwards 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 8, 1982, after Edwards was traded to the Calgary Flames. Sauvé was joined in net 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. Sauvé was dealt by Buffalo to the Chicago Black Hawks in exchange for a third-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.

Sauvé remained active in hockey after retirement, first as the president of the New Jersey Devils' alumni association, then as a goalie coach and later as a player agent. His list of clients includes Patrick Roy, Vincent Lecavalier, Jocelyn Thibault, Pierre Turgeon, Vincent Damphousse and Simon Gagné.

Personal life 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 was a professional goaltender who played in the NHL and in Europe for the Hamburg Freezers. His nephew Maxime Sauvé was an NHL hockey forward.

Awards and achievements Selected to the QMJHL First All-Star Team in 1974. Vezina Trophy winner in 1980 (shared with Don Edwards). William M. Jennings Trophy winner in 1985 (shared with Tom Barasso).

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 1971–72 Verdun Maple Leafs QMJHL 34 — — — 2020 202 0 6.00 .851 2 0 2 120 12 0 6.00 .836 1972–73 Laval National QMJHL 35 — — — 2100 224 0 6.40 .850 3 — — 160 20 0 7.50 .856 1973–74 Laval National QMJHL 61 — — — 3620 341 0 5.65 .867 11 — — 660 60 0 5.45 .869 1974–75 Laval National QMJHL 57 — — — 3403 287 0 5.06 .876 16 — — 960 81 0 5.06 .872 1975–76 Providence Reds AHL 14 5 8 1 848 44 0 3.11 — — — — — — — — — 1975–76 Charlotte Checkers SHL 17 — — — 979 36 2 2.21 .937 7 — — 420 10 2 1.43 — 1976–77 Buffalo Sabres NHL 4 1 2 0 184 11 0 3.59 .845 — — — — — — — — 1976–77 Rhode Island Reds AHL 25 — — — 1346 94 0 4.14 .878 — — — — — — — — 1976–77 Hershey Bears AHL 9 — — — 539 38 0 4.23 — — — — — — — — — 1977–78 Buffalo Sabres NHL 11 6 2 0 480 20 0 2.50 .912 — — — — — — — — 1977–78 Hershey Bears AHL 16 4 6 3 872 59 0 4.05 — — — — — — — — — 1978–79 Buffalo Sabres NHL 29 10 10 7 1610 100 0 3.73 .876 3 1 2 181 9 0 2.98 .883 1978–79 Hershey Bears AHL 5 3 2 0 278 14 0 3.02 — — — — — — — — — 1979–80 Buffalo Sabres NHL 32 20 8 4 1880 74 4 2.36 .901 8 6 2 501 17 2 2.04 .926 1980–81 Buffalo Sabres NHL 35 16 10 9 2100 111 2 3.17 .880 — — — — — — — — 1981–82 Buffalo Sabres NHL 14 6 1 5 760 35 0 2.76 .893 — — — — — — — — 1981–82 Detroit Red Wings NHL 41 11 25 4 2365 165 0 4.19 .846 — — — — — — — — 1982–83 Buffalo Sabres NHL 54 25 20 7 3110 179 1 3.45 .872 10 6 4 545 28 2 3.08 .881 1983–84 Buffalo Sabres NHL 40 22 13 4 2375 138 0 3.49 .869 2 0 1 41 5 0 7.32 .643 1984–85 Buffalo Sabres NHL 27 13 10 3 1564 84 0 3.22 .855 — — — — — — — — 1985–86 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 38 19 13 2 2099 138 0 3.94 .886 2 0 2 99 8 0 4.85 .869 1986–87 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 46 19 19 5 2660 159 1 3.59 .894 4 0 4 245 15 0 3.67 .890 1987–88 New Jersey Devils NHL 34 10 16 3 1798 107 0 3.57 .870 5 2 1 236 13 0 3.30 .890 1988–89 New Jersey Devils NHL 15 4 5 1 721 56 0 4.66 .832 — — — — — — — — NHL totals 420 182 154 54 23,706 1377 8 3.49 .875 34 15 16 1848 95 4 3.08 .891