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André Savage
André Savage is along with Corey Hirsch and Lubomir Sekeras, Malmö Redhawks most qualificated acquisition for this season. The Canadian centre has scored 24 points on 66 games in Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers in NHL, and played in the the American second gang AHL for Providence Bruins for instance. The previous season he chose to stay home and to play for San Antonio Rampage and Hershey Bears in the AHL.
Education is important
We initiate with speaking little about Malmö Redhawks ?Hockeygymnasium?. André himself has gone all the way from college hockey, to the AHL and then further to the NHL. He tells me about the importance of getting himself a good education:
- You never know if you?re going to succeed and how long you?ll be playing hockey. I think it?s important that the younger players know how important it is to have a good education. It?s something no one can take away from you. Anything colud happen, you may not make it the whole way, or you could get injured, and then it?s always good to have something to fall back on. And it?s the same no matter if you live in the U.S., Canada or Sweden.
Was it a big adaptation to go from school-hockey to the AHL and pro hockey?
- Yes it was. The game were faster and the players bigger and stronger. In collage most of the players were aged 18-23. In pro hockey, they?re between 18-40.
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| #28 André Savage | What has done that you have succeeded?
- First of all, I spent a mass of time and worked hard. If your goal is to succeed within the hockey, you must give at least 100 percents on each practice and each game. I try still to live after this. No matter who you meet or how tired you may be at a practice, you have to try to give everything you have. This is our job and it?s about always trying to do your best. And then I also had some luck when playing in college. I quickly got a place in Providence in the AHL and we had a really good team. We went to the playoffs my first three years there. Then, I became signed by the Bosten Bruins. I really wanted to show what I got and they gave me the chance to show it.
To give 100 percent is something André?s still living up to
- I think it?s important that we older playes show the younger guys that we?re taking this seriously and that we?re serious about what we do. To teach isn?t always about words, it?s just as much about action and attitude.
What do you like most about your game?
- I take much pride in the faceoffs. It?s always been some kind of a favourite. It?s where the game starts and where you build the whole thing up. I practice it daily, a lot It?s something you always can develop.
The fans know the game
In North America the fan-culture is quite different from here in Sweden. They don?t usually have ?stands?, and the only time the crowd is standing up is, according to Savage, when there?s a fight.
- The fans in Malmö and Sweden really know the game and involve themselves in it. They know what hockey?s about. In the NHL and AHL the crowd is sitting down and claps their hands when something good is happening on the ice, here they sing and have chants. Here it?s about hockey and history, and I find that cool.
André likes his new home-town and has felt welcome since the first day here.
- Malmö is a perfectly sized town which reminds me a lot about my home-town. It was nice to get such a receptionas I got when you?re this far away from home. Everybody has been helpful and nice. And we also have a great atmosphere in the team. Everybody?s 110 percent supportive towards each other, and our only goal is to succeed. The team spirit is awesome, and it has been since day one.
You?ve got two new players to the team , Robert Tomik and Lubomir Sekeras. How are they doing, getting into the team and the atmosphere?
- They are two good duys and it?s hasn?t been any problems at all. Skeras will allocate a lot of in the defensive playing and in powerplay and boxplay. He has really good puck control and can pursue the puck on a good and safe way.
- Tomik is also he a dexterous player. He plays quickly and with energy. It almost feels like we?ve got an entire new line with me, him and Wahlberg. Wahlberg has been injured earlier, and Tomik?s new. Our first line has created a lot, but give us little time to come together and we?ll deliver too.I think wa heva a very good and talented team. Now, it?s up to us to make results. We must be aware that it?s a tough challenge, but as I said earlier I?m conviced that we?ll succeed.
Has played with Coleman earlier
1998-2001, Savage played in the AHL and Providence Bruins, the farm team of Boston Bruins. The 2001/2002 season, Jonathan Coleman played there too.
- Yes, we played there together for one season, and it felt nice to see a familiar face when coming to Malmö. Jonathan is a stable and safe defenseman, and his lineup with Riihijärvi and Carl Söderberg, for instance, has been our best this far.
Corey Hirsch is another player that André?s socializing with. Corey?s disclosed that André?s a very talented guitar-player and also a good singer. Therefore, I asked André if he?d like to sing something for us?
- Oh, he's told you that (haha)? Well, it?s true. I like to play guitar and to sing, I find it very relaxing. So if you ask me nicely I think I will play something for you, André says with a smile on his face.
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