Serge Savard takes shots and sends a clear message to Marc Bergevin

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Jeff Drouin
August 17, 2022 (11:09)

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As we know, the Canadiens' former player and general manager, Serge Savard, has never been shy about expressing his opinions and criticizing the team's management over the past few years.
And it is not tomorrow that this will change.

At a charity event held at Le Mirage Golf Club, Savard lashed out at former GM Marc Bergevin about the treatment of former Habs players during his nearly decade-long reign.

"Alumni, we had a tough time with Marc Bergevin."

"He [Bergevin] didn't want to have anyone around the [players'] room. Even to get to the alumni room, you had to take a detour to the La Presse room."

Let's just say that wasn't the case back when he was a player or even a general manager when Habs alumni were more than welcome to be around the team.

"When I was a player and there were guys who came to meet us in the locker room after games, we were happy. Marcel Bonin would come and see us every time he attended a game at the Forum. That's something you don't see anymore."

It's unclear what may have happened over the past few years, but the former member of the famed Big Three was very optimistic that things may well change with the new management in place, and he wouldn't be surprised if the old-timers were able to regain more of their footing in the near future.

"The Canadian recently appointed three new ambassadors. Chantal Machabée [the CH's VP of Hockey Communications] has made it a priority and understands the situation of the alumni. I think it will get better."

This is not the first time that Savard allows himself to criticize Marc Bergevin on his management of the team during his time as general manager of the team. During an appearance on the show Tout le monde en parle in the fall of 2019, he had criticized the culture of the team, when the Habs missed the playoffs and Bergevin was satisfied with the season of his team.

"Last season, we didn't make the playoffs, but we said we had a good year. Between you and me, high fives when we get eliminated... It's different. There were no smiles back in the day when we were losing."

Ironically, Savard had been hired by Geoff Molson to be part of the hiring committee for the Habs' new general manager in 2012 and he even said he tried to contact Marc Bergevin afterwards and never got a response.

Credit: InsideScoulisses.com