Bob Sauvé

Bob Sauvé
Born	June 17, 1955 Sainte-Geneviève, QC, CAN
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Chicago Black Hawks New Jersey Devils
NHL Draft	17th overall, 1975 Buffalo Sabres
WHA Draft	16th overall, 1975 Cincinnati Stingers
Playing career	1976–1989

Robert F. Sauvé (born June 17, 1955 in Sainte-Geneviève, Quebec) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, and currently a player agent.

Playing 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 1st 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, while Edwards was initially the more successful of the two and was the first to stick with the big club in Buffalo. 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. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken finger and began the season in Hershey. After Edwards later 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 1, 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. Barrasso was always quick to credit Sauvé for not only helping him but for challenging him with his own strong play. Sauvé was dealt by Buffalo to the Chicago Black Hawks in exchange for a 3rd 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.

Other

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 is also a professional goaltender who currently plays in Europe for the Hamburg Freezers.

Sauvé remained active in hockey after retirement, first as the president of the New Jersey Devil's alumni association, then as a goalie coach and later as a player agent. His list of clientele has included many of Quebec's biggest names including Patrick Roy, Vincent Lecavalier, Jocelyn Thibault, Pierre Turgeon, Vincent Damphousse and Simon Gagné.

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

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1971–72	Verdun Maple Leafs	QMJHL		34	—	—	—	2020	202	0	6.00	.851
1972–73	Laval National	QMJHL		35	—	—	—	2100	224	0	6.40	.850
1973–74	Laval National	QMJHL		61	—	—	—	3620	341	0	5.65	.867
1974–75	Laval National	QMJHL		57	—	—	—	3403	287	0	5.06	.876
1975–76	Providence Reds	AHL		14	5	8	1	848	44	0	3.11	—
1976–77	Charlotte Checkers	SHL		17	—	—	—	979	36	2	2.21	.937
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
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
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
1983–84	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		40	22	13	4	2375	138	0	3.49	.869
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
1986–87	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		46	19	19	5	2660	159	1	3.59	.894
1987–88	New Jersey Devils	NHL		34	10	16	3	1798	107	0	3.57	.870
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

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1971–72	Verdun Maple Leafs	QMJHL		2	0	2	120	12	0	6.00	.836
1972–73	Laval National	QMJHL		3	—	—	160	20	0	7.50	.856
1973–74	Laval National	QMJHL		11	—	—	660	60	0	5.45	.869
1974–75	Laval National	QMJHL		16	—	—	960	81	0	5.06	.872
1975–76	Charlotte Checkers	SHL		7	—	—	420	10	2	1.43	—
1978–79	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		3	1	2	181	9	0	2.98	.883
1979–80	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		8	6	2	501	17	2	2.04	.926
1982–83	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		10	6	4	545	28	2	3.08	.881
1983–84	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		2	0	1	41	5	0	7.32	.643
1985–86	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		2	0	2	99	8	0	4.85	.869
1986–87	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		4	0	4	245	15	0	3.67	.890
1987–88	New Jersey Devils	NHL		5	2	1	236	13	0	3.30	.890
NHL totals				34	15	16	1848	95	4	3.08	.891

See also

• Goaltender

External links

• Bob Sauvé's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database