[Stanley Kuppchaser]

For the Port Ruppert Mundys, who began as an expansion team in 2018/19, there is only one answer to that question now, and perhaps forever.


Matthew Savoie, a 5' 11", 208 lb. center, began his NHL career as an 18-year-old in 2022/23, announcing his arrival with a 99 point rookie season, and winning the Calder Trophy. He drew favorable comparisons to many of the greats, particularly Jean Beliveau, to whom he bears a striking resemblance (see picture). Unfortunately, Beliveau's number 4 was owned by a veteran Mundy,so Savoie opted for 7, in a nod to Rod Gilbert, an "Original Six" favorite of Savoie, a student of hockey history.


Only three years later, he capped a 105 point season by leading Port Ruppert to win the Stanley Cup in just the 8th year of the team's existence, scoring 17 goals and 26 assists, capturing the first of his two Conn Smythe trophies.



At the halfway point of his 19th season, Savoie is still producing, with 29 points in 40 games, logging about 14 minutes of ice time per game. His career, by the numbers:


6 Stanley Cups
14 All Star selections
8 100-point seasons
3 Hart Trophies
4 Ross Trophies
549 Goals
1210 Assists (5th all time)
289 Playoff Points (4th All Time)


Savoie's 1769 points place him 10th in NHL history, with further movement up the list within easy reach if his health and desire continue.


For all his physical gifts, it is Savoie's hockey IQ that has stood out for his only NHL coach, Ulysses Fairsmith III(picture below), the sole leader of the Mundys since their beginning. According to Fairsmith, Savoie "...knows the minds of his opponents and teammates better than they themselves do."