Blackhawks' Savoie has surgery on right femur

Samuel Savoie had surgery on his right femur in Minnesota on Sunday, the Chicago Blackhawks announced.

The surgery comes one day after the 19-year-old forward was taken off the ice on a stretcher after awkwardly sliding into the boards during a 3-2 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said after the game that Savoie "was in a little bit of pain, so you know, we're just hoping for the best for him."

Savoie was skating for a loose puck along with Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski, who pulled up before Savoie slid into the boards legs first with 2:24 remaining in the second period. He grabbed his right leg while lying on the ice.

As he exited, Savoie gave a thumbs-up and fist-bumped with several Wild and Blackhawks players, which Richardson said was "a good relief" to see.

Savoie, who was making his preseason debut, played 9:00 prior to the injury.

Selected by Chicago in the third round (No. 81) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Savoie had 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 60 games last season for Gatineau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.