Denis Savard is a retired center who played in the National Hockey League from 1980-1997, most notably for the Chicago Blackhawks (1980-1990, 1994-1997) but also the Montreal Canadiens (1990-1993) and Tampa Bay Lightning (1993-1995). He also served as head coach of the Blackhawks from 2006 – 2009. Savard was a nine-time All-Star and was a member of the 1993 Montreal Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup. In 1,196 games, Savard scored 473 goals with 865 assists for a total of 1,338 points. He trails only Hall of Famers Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull in total points all-time in Blackhawks franchise history. Savard retired from playing hockey in 1997.

In 1998, Savard had his jersey #18 retired by the Blackhawks. In 2017, Savard was named by NHL.com as one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" of all-time. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. Savard was born in Temiscaming, Quebec and played minor league hockey with a team from Verdun, Quebec. He was drafted by the Blackhawks with the third overall pick in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. Savard was the highest pick in Blackhawks history until they drafted Patrick Kane in 2007 with the first overall pick.