Friday, October 28, 2005

OTTAWA 67'S RALLY HOCKEY COUNTRY TO SUPPORT SÉBASTIEN SAVAGE

Former 67's player suffers serious injury in university hockey game

OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators announced today the club will support fundraising initiatives launched by its Hockey Country neighbours, the Ottawa 67's, for a trust fund to support former 67's player Sébastien Savage. Savage sustained a major fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra with displacement during the a university hockey game Saturday, Oct 22, at the J.-Louis-Lévesque arena at the Université de Moncton campus.

The injury occurred after Savage, 24, fell while playing in a game for the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus against the visiting Acadia Axemen. Sébastien is resting in stable condition in the neuro-surgical intensive care unit of the Moncton City Hospital, where they performed surgery. He will be transferred to Ottawa when his condition permits.

"We will do what we can to support Sébastien and his family in this time of need," said Jeff Hunt, owner of Ottawa 67s, who added that details of the initiatives for the trust fund will be outlined shortly.

The Ottawa Senators offered their support when contacted by Hunt. "We are 100 per cent behind Jeff's plan to offer assistance. Sébastien is a member of the Hockey Country family and the Senators are proud to be part of this initiative," said Cyril Leeder, chief operating officer for the Senators and Corel Centre.

Savage, a native of St. Albert, Ont., which is 40 minutes east of Ottawa, played 56 games with the 67's during the 2000-01 season and at beginning of 2001-02. Over the course of four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, from 1998 to 2002, he also played with Mississauga, Sudbury and Brampton, where he finished off his junior career.