Matthew Savoie (/səˈvɔɪ/ suh-VOY;[1] born January 1, 2004) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022 NHL entry draft.
| Matthew Savoie | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 1, 2004 St. Albert, Alberta, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams |
Edmonton Oilers Bakersfield Condors (AHL) Buffalo Sabres | ||
| NHL draft |
9th overall, 2022 Buffalo Sabres | ||
| Playing career | 2023–present | ||
Playing career
editSavoie applied for exceptional player status to enter the Western Hockey League (WHL) as a 15-year-old, but was turned down. The following week, he committed to play college ice hockey for the University of Denver.[2] Despite his NCAA commitment, he was selected first overall in the 2019 WHL bantam draft by the Winnipeg Ice.[3]
In June 2019, Savoie broke his commitment to Denver and signed with the Ice.[4] He began the year with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League, where he recorded 38 points in 34 games. He entered the WHL upon turning 16, and in 22 games recorded seven points, all assists.[5]
In his first full WHL season in 2021–22, Savoie led all rookies in scoring with 90 points in 65 games, ranking seventh overall and third on the Ice.[6] Following the season, he was drafted ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022 NHL entry draft.[7] He was subsequently signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the team on July 16, 2022.[8]
At the end of the 2022–23, Savoie made his professional debut with the Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Sabres, appearing in two playoff games against the Hershey Bears.[9]
Savoie sustained an upper-body injury during rookie camp entering the 2023–24 season, and began the year on injured reserve. On October 22, 2023, he was assigned to the Americans on a conditioning loan, where he recorded five points in six games. He was recalled to the Sabres on November 6, 2023.[9][10] Savoie made his NHL debut on November 10, 2023, recording less than four minutes of ice time. The next day, he was reassigned to the WHL's Wenatchee Wild (who had moved from Winnipeg that summer).[11] On January 4, 2024, he was traded from Wenatchee to the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for seven draft picks, including two first-round picks.[12] Following his Warriors debut, in which he had two goals and five points in a 7–2 victory over the Vancouver Giants, Savoie was named WHL player of the week for the week ending January 14.[13]
On July 5, Savoie was traded to the Edmonton Oilers, in exchange for Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio.[14]
Personal life
editSavoie's older brother, Carter, was an Edmonton Oilers fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft.
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2019–20 | Winnipeg Ice | WHL | 22 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Sherwood Park Crusaders | AJHL | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Dubuque Fighting Saints | USHL | 34 | 21 | 17 | 38 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | ||
| 2021–22 | Winnipeg Ice | WHL | 65 | 35 | 55 | 90 | 32 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Winnipeg Ice | WHL | 62 | 38 | 57 | 95 | 26 | 19 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | Rochester Americans | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Wenatchee Wild | WHL | 11 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 23 | 19 | 28 | 47 | 8 | 19 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 10 | ||
| NHL totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Canada White | U17 | 4th | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Canada | WJC | 5th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | ||||
Awards and honours
edit| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| USHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2021 | |
| WHL | ||
| East First All-Star Team | 2022 | |
| Ed Chynoweth Cup | 2024 | |
References
edit- ^ 2023-24PronunciationGuide.pdf
- ^ Hunter, Tom (March 19, 2019). "Super prospect Matt Savoie commits to DU Pioneers". milehighhockey.com. SBNation. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Moore, Kelly (May 2, 2019). "Winnipeg Ice kick off 2019 WHL Bantam Draft with a bang". globalnews.ca. Global News. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Clinton, Jared (June 18, 2019). "After being denied exceptional status, budding star Savoie is Winnipeg-bound – and expect to see him soon". thehockeynews.com. The Hockey News. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Burgess, Melissa (July 7, 2022). "2022 NHL Draft: Sabres Select Matthew Savoie with Ninth Overall Pick". diebytheblade.com. Die By The Blade. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Sabres select Savoie with ninth overall pick in 2022 NHL draft". amerks.com. Rochester Americans. July 7, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Sabres choose Matthew Savoie with the No. 9 pick in 2022 NHL Draft". Sportsnet.ca. July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "Sabres sign 2022 first-round pick Matthew Savoie". Buffalo Sabres. July 16, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ a b LaBarber, Jourdon (October 22, 2023). "Sabres send Savoie to Rochester on conditioning loan". nhl.com. Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Sabres call up top prospect Matthew Savoie from AHL". espn.com. ESPN. November 6, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ LaBarber, Jourdon (November 11, 2023). "Sabres assign Savoie to Wenatchee of WHL". nhl.com. Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "BREAKING: Warriors acquire Wenatchee standout Matt Savoie in blockbuster deal". moosejawtoday.com. Moose Jaw Today. January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Palmer, Randy (January 17, 2024). "Warriors Savoie named WHL Player of the Week after first game in Moose Jaw". moosejawtoday.com. Moose Jaw Today. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "RELEASE: Oilers acquire Matt Savoie from Sabres". Edmonton Oilers. July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database