Former Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques forward Reginald Savage has died at the age of 53, the Capitals announced. Savage, a former first-round pick, passed away after a battle with cancer.
The Capitals selected Savage with the No. 15 overall pick in the 1988 NHL Draft, and he went on to play 17 games for the franchise. Savage scored his first goal against the Minnesota North Stars on Nov. 18, 1992, and it came in rare fashion.
Savage converted on a penalty shot, and the stick he used is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Savage, who was born in Canada and was of Jamaican descent, was one of just 11 black players to ever suit up in a game for the Capitals. On Friday, the Capitals released a statement honoring Savage’s contributions to the organization and the game of hockey as a whole.
Savage also played 17 games for the Quebec Nordiques in the 1993-94 season, tallying three goals and four assists over that span.
In addition to his stints with the Capitals and Nordiques, Savage was a tremendous goal-scorer who carved out a long and successful career in the AHL. Savage scored 259 goals with four different AHL teams, and he played 18 seasons of professional hockey.
Savage’s sister, Sonia, told NHL.com that his main goal in life was to be a hockey player, and he did everything he could to make that happen.
“It was his life,” she said. “He trained every day, ate what he had to eat. He’d never go out. He never took anything. He only wanted to be a hockey player. He did all the sacrifices he had to do.”
