Savoie Aims For the Top As 2023-24 Season Nears

WENATCHEE, Wash. – After getting drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of last season’s National Hockey League draft and leading the Winnipeg ICE to within sight of a Western Hockey League Ed Chynoweth Cup this past season, there’s no doubt Matt Savoie is aiming for the very top.

Savoie is part of the incoming roster in Wenatchee after last month’s relocation of the Winnipeg ICE, and is set to begin his fourth full season of junior hockey in a Wild uniform, depending on his status with the Sabres at the end of their preseason camp. He’ll undoubtedly get looks from the big club in Buffalo as the season gets underway – Savoie played in three NHL preseason games last year, and after leading the ICE to the WHL Final against the Seattle Thunderbirds, he played in two playoff games for Buffalo’s American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester, New York.

“Both experiences were good. It was pretty surreal to be out there with some players that I grew up watching and grew up idolizing,” said Savoie. “My biggest goal is to make Buffalo and play some NHL games there at the start of the season. You never know what happens when camp is playing out, but I’m hoping to go in there in good shape and have a really good showing.”

Savoie’s older brother, Carter, is chasing an NHL dream of his own, playing his first full pro season last year for the  AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Matt has firmly carved his own path in the sport, and got used to putting on a Sabres jersey well before getting drafted by Buffalo, playing for the St. Albert Sabres AAA program before spending a three-year run in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League with the Northern Alberta Xtreme and the RINK Hockey Academy.

His 71 points during the 2018-19 season helped lead Northern Alberta to a CSSHL under-18 championship, and earned him the league’s Most Valuable Player award for his age division. The WHL’s newly-minted Winnipeg entry took notice, drafting him first overall in its Bantam Draft that spring. His wait to reach Winnipeg wasn’t a long one – Savoie split the season between RINK and the ICE, playing 22 games for each and rolling up 52 points for RINK’s U18 prep team.

He scored seven points in his debut half-season with Winnipeg, but that debut junior campaign came to a crashing halt in mid-March with the sport’s COVID shutdowns. The 2020-21 season involved some detours as well – a run with the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the Alberta Junior Hockey League ended after just four games due to the cancellation of the AJHL’s season. Plan B was a detour to Dubuque, Iowa and the United States Hockey League, where he tag-teamed with his older brother to lead the Fighting Saints to 24 wins and a spot in the Clark Cup playoffs.

“Those were pretty cool experiences, getting to go down there through COVID and getting to meet a lot of new people and play in a different league against some other players,” said Savoie. “I think that was another experience that really helped me these past couple of years, acclimating to the speed of the game and having confidence to play my game offensively and make plays.”

He picked up right where he left off with Winnipeg in 2021-22, posting 90 points and helping the ICE reach the Eastern Conference Final, earning a spot on the East Division All-Star team as well. He improved on that mark slightly last season with 95 points, but cranked his game up to a new level in the playoffs, notching 29 points to lead his team to within three victories of a WHL title and the Memorial Cup.

“I’ve taken a lot of experiences from Winnipeg,” said Savoie. “Going on a deep playoff run this past year and seeing the physicality and what it takes to win is a big part of taking that next jump. Being a smaller guy, you definitely want to have that low center of gravity to be able to win puck battles in the corners and play in the middle of the ice as much as possible. I’ve been working on that and seeing some good improvements.”

Savoie comes into the season a highly-touted NHL prospect after earning the ninth overall pick in last year’s draft, and is noted for his ability to play a step ahead of his peers and for a motor that doesn’t stop running. As the Wenatchee Wild rev up for the upcoming season, Matt Savoie is ready to shift his game into a new gear no matter where the road takes him.

(Note: this is the 10th in a series of offseason profiles on players set to join the Wild following the relocation of the Winnipeg ICE. Previous profiles are linked below.)