FEATURE: Savoie Finds New Level of Maturity in Recent Success

Heading into the 2022-23 season, Samuel Savoie didn't know what to expect in his third season with the Gatineau Olympiques.

However, after his stint with the Chicago Blackhawks training camp the year before, he learned new skills to help improve his game once he returned to his junior team. From the start of the season all the way to the end, his offensive production continued to grow.

"After coming back to Gatineau after Chicago, it was another step," Savoie said. "I came to Chicago [during] training camp, and I had no expectations and I think I did pretty good and I learned a lot. So, bringing all that stuff that I learned to Gatineau, it really helped me."

Through 60 games this past season, the 5-foot-10 forward produced 26 goals and 33 assists for a total of 59 points that set career highs in all categories. He helped Gatineau advance to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League semi-finals but lost to the Quebec Remparts in the series.

The New Brunswick native felt like he surprised himself this past season with the amount of points he produced in his third year of the QMJHL. Whenever he went on the ice, he tried to take advantage of every opportunity he could to showcase himself.

"I had more opportunities this year and more ice time and all that and I took advantage of that and I buried the chances I had," Savoie said.

He also credited his most recent success from the help of his coaches and training staff that pushed him to come a better player. Besides his physical growth, they also taught him how to manage his emotions that made him a more relaxed player instead of one who retaliates.

With his new level of maturity, it also helped him become a stronger leader among the Olympiques' roster and earn respect from some of his younger teammates.

"I think it was a big year for me kind of being a leader [to some of the] younger guys," Savoie said. "I was always a younger guy in my [QMJHL], teams, so I had to kind of be more of a leader to get that respect from younger guys and all that."

After his season with Gatineau and his stint at the Blackhawks' development camp this summer, the

Blackhawks signed the third-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft to a three-year entry-level contract

that runs through the 2025-26 season.

While he still feels confident in his physical game over, he hopes it will make him a stronger player even with more opportunities available to him.

"I don't want to [change] my game next year even if I have more opportunities, more ice time, playing first power play and all that in the in the [QMJHL]," Savoie said. "I don't want to lose that because I think that's a part of my nature and a big part of my game."