Reginald Savage to be Inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame

In the aftermath of the passing of Reginald Savage yesterday after his battle with cancer, the Commissioner’s Office announced this afternoon that the former star of the Victoriaville Tigres will be inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 2024.

Earlier this fall, the Montreal, QC native was voted by an independent committee to join the League’s prestigious Hall of Fame. The announcement of the four other members of the class of 2024 will follow at a later date.

Here are some of Savage’s career highlights.

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Reginald Savage always knew how to deal with adversity during his years as a hockey player. A very athletic centre at 5′ 11 and 185 lbs, he showed character, and a particular desire to score goals.

In his 2nd season in the Quebec Midget AAA League with the Riverains du Richelieu, he had a stellar 1986-87 season, with 139 points in 42 games. His superb campaign was capped by a gold medal at the Canadian Midget Championship when Savage was personally named the competition’s outstanding player.

In the winter of 1989, he added 9 points to his record with Canada at the World Junior Championship, the team finishing 4th in the tournament. And in the 1988-89 season, he set another team record with the Tigres, with an extraordinary streak of 40 straight games with at least one point, tying him with Guy Lafleur for 7th all-time in QMJHL history.

In 1989-90, he helped the Tigres win their first and only regular-season championship. In the playoffs, he and his teammates put on a show for Victoriaville fans. For two consecutive years, in 1989 and 1990, with outstanding teammates such as Stéphane Fiset, Yves Racine and Daniel Gauthier, among others, they led the Tigres to the QMJHL grand final, losing to the Laval Titan on both occasions.

After three seasons in the QMJHL, with a total of 385 points, he contributed an incredible 35% of the 1,096 goals scored by the Tigres, playoffs included. Equally impressive, he practically maintained an average of one goal per game, scoring 207 times in 223 games. His franchise record of 18 hat-tricks still stands in the Victoriaville record book after more than 30 years.

As for his professional career, it spanned 15 seasons, including three in the European leagues; his offensive performance hovered around one point per game during several seasons in the American and International Leagues. A 1st-round pick of the Capitals in 1988, he played only 34 games in the National Hockey League, scoring 12 points, with Washington and the Quebec Nordiques. One of his rare feats was scoring his first NHL goal on a penalty shot.

His jersey number, “77,” was retired by the Victoriaville Tigres on November 4, 2011.