Quotable: Savard says Campbell emails might’ve been ‘interpreted’ wrong

Savard

BOSTON — Bruins center Marc Savard, fresh off his first morning skate with his teammates today at TD Garden, was asked about the recent revelation that NHL Executive VP Colin Campbell criticized the center in some emails from three years ago.

Here was his response:

“I have nothing against Coli. I think that stuff was private stuff and I think that the stuff that he was saying was interpreted in a bad way. It had nothing to do with the Cooke incident. I played for Coli and I think that was one of the ways when I first came into the league to stay in the lineup was draw penalties and he encouraged that at the time, if you asked him. I think that’s what he was referring to. But it had nothing to do with the Cooke situation.

“And I talked to Soup [Colin’s son, Bruins center Gregory Campbell]. Soup’s a great kid and we have no hard feelings against each other. I can’t wait get back to play with him.”

“When I read them [the emails], it didn’t faze me,” Savard continued. “I just knew that he was talking about how when I dove a couple times when I played for him to draw penalties. I’ve obviously changed because I can play every night. But back then I was in and out of the lineup, so that was one of my bonuses drawing two and three penalties a game and getting on the power play. That’s the way I played.”

Savard’s explanation seems plausible. One has to just wonder why Campbell didn’t have the same explanation this week when making the media rounds on NHL-friendly airwaves.