Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins Will Not Play in 2011-2012

The Boston Bruins have shut down Marc Savard for the 2011-2012 season, and it is believed that the 34-year old center may never play another NHL game, per NHL.com and a Boston Globe report.

Savard has struggled to make any kind of long-term comeback after sustaining his first concussion in the 2009-2010 season. He managed to skate in 25 games last year, but was placed on the IR again after another head injury in January.

He hasn't played since, and according to Boston GM Peter Chiarelli, that won't change in the 2011-2012 season. He was quoted in the Boston Globe, stating the following.

"Marc Savard won't play this year. Nothing has changed in our monitoring. He'll be examined and he'll be declared unfit to play."

The Bruins obviously felt that Savard was part of their long-term future when they locked him up in a deal that would see him in yellow and black all the way through the 2017-2018 season. However, according to Chiarelli, Savard is unlikely to ever play another professional hockey game. The following statement was also in the Boston Globe.

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"Based on what I see, what I hear, what I read and what I'm told, it's very unlikely Marc will play again. Now, knowing the uncertainty of this injury, there's always a chance. But based on what I'm told, it's very unlikely he'll play. As an employer, I support him and hope he gets back to living a healthy life."

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This news will only ignite the concussion and headshot debate further as one of the sadder NHL offseasons in recent memory continues.