After a career cut short by multiple head injuries, former Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard plans to have his brain posthumously donated to science to benefit concussion research.

Savard opened up to The Boston Globe's Stan Grossfeld in a lengthy interview published Thursday, in which he recounted his final concussion, talked about life after the NHL, and expressed disappointment about his career's premature end.

"I'm 39," he said. "I still should be playing, right? I miss it. I was an intense player when I played. I just miss the competition."

Savard decided to donate his brain so it can be studied for possible effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease that's been found in former NFL and NHL players, as well as wrestlers - all of whom endured repeated head trauma.

He was limited to 25 regular season games in his final season of 2010-11, and didn't appear in a 2011 playoff game for the Bruins, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

"Just not to be able to be on the ice with the guys, knowing that I could contribute, was probably the toughest thing," he said.

The sixth and final concussive blow to Savard's head came on a hit by then-Colorado Avalanche defenseman Matt Hunwick.

"I got down on my knees there and I just saw pitch black with my eyes open, and I can remember (trainer) Donny (DelNegro) coming out," he recalled. "I said, 'Donny, I don't know what's wrong here, but I'm dying. I can't see anything.' And my eyes were open, so I was quite scared there."

Savard spent parts of 14 seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and Bruins.

He's now coaching minor hockey in Peterborough, Ontario, and while he wishes he could still be playing, he appears satisfied teaching the game to others.

"The good thing is that I'm helping kids today - earlier than I should have - get better at the game that gave me everything I have."

Savard is still under contract with the New Jersey Devils, who acquired his rights from the Florida Panthers in June, but if and when he officially hangs up the skates, he knows which organization he'll do it with.

"I'd love to retire a Bruin," he said.

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It's not all bad news for the Tampa Bay Lightning on the injury front.

After TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Thursday that Steven Stamkos is likely to miss at least four months with a meniscus tear, head coach Jon Cooper confirmed that forward Jonathan Drouin will return to the lineup when the club takes on the Buffalo Sabres, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

Related: Lightning can manage in Stamkos' absence, for however long it is

Drouin had missed the past seven games with what the team deemed an upper-body injury.

The 21-year-old should help alleviate some of the offense lost in Stamkos' absence, as the club's captain sits just a single point behind Mark Scheifele and teammate Nikita Kucherov for the league lead.

That being said, Drouin will enter the lineup having gone pointless in six of his last seven games after starting the season with a three-game point streak.

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It's not all bad news for the Tampa Bay Lightning on the injury front.

After TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Thursday that Steven Stamkos is likely to miss at least four months with a meniscus tear, head coach Jon Cooper confirmed that forward Jonathan Drouin will return to the lineup when the club takes on the Buffalo Sabres, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

Related: Lightning can manage in Stamkos' absence, for however long it is

Drouin had missed the past seven games with what the team deemed an upper-body injury.

The 21-year-old should help alleviate some of the offense lost in Stamkos' absence, as the club's captain sits just a single point behind Mark Scheifele and teammate Nikita Kucherov for the league lead.

That being said, Drouin will enter the lineup having gone pointless in six of his last seven games after starting the season with a three-game point streak.

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While warming up for Wednesday night's game against the Calgary Flames, Arizona Coyotes winger Max Domi decided to do something nice for a young fan sitting front row by giving him a souvenir puck to take home.

It took several attempts, but Domi eventually got the puck over the glass and into the kid's hands.

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Shayne Gostisbehere is likely feeling a whirlwind of emotions Thursday.

After the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman was named the Philadelphia Pro Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association, the 23-year-old learned that he'll be a healthy scratch Thursday night when his club takes on the Winnipeg Jets.

Head coach Dave Hakstol broke the news in the morning, suggesting the decision is simply to help his growth.

"He'll be out of the lineup tonight," said Hakstol, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com. "That's a part of growth and development and part of our group in terms of accountability in our play overall. So yeah ... people can't make too much out of it. It's not a small thing to have Shayne out of our lineup, yet it's a good thing for him in his growth and his development and a few things we're asking him to concentrate on."

After finishing second to Artemi Panarin in Calder Trophy voting last season, the sophomore defenseman, who has three goals and 10 points through 17 games (tied for fourth on the Flyers), was thankful for the consolation prize he received earlier in the day.

"Just to be associated with the award is something special to me and my family as well," Gostisbehere said, according to Philly.com's Sam Carchidi. "It's a tremendous honor."

"I didn't think I was going to come in and make the impact I did," he added. "But I came in wanting to contribute to the team and help the team along the way. That's what stuck with me all the way: Just put the individual stuff to the side and keep your teammates always with you."

The Flyers enter Thursday's game having dropped four of their last five.

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Wayne Gretzky will add another achievement to his outstretched resume this December.

The Great One will star in an episode of The Simpsons, according to Sportsnet's Dave Zarum. In doing so, he'll join a long list of fellow sports icons who've made guest appearances, including Dan Marino, Roger Clemens, LeBron James, and Tom Brady.

Show producer Joel Cohen told Zarum that while working with Gretzky was an honor, he's also a longtime Calgary Flames fan, which opened the door for lots of chirping on set.

"I’m a Calgary native and consequent Oiler-hater so 99 and I had a lot to talk about, and even more to trash-talk about - Semenko, Fuhr, Steve Smith bouncing the puck off Fuhr," Cohen said.

"Through it all, he was as classy and generous as you hope an icon can be. It was almost enough for me to forgive him for repeatedly demolishing my Flames’ playoff hopes. Not quite, but almost."

The episode is set to air on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Steven Stamkos just can't catch a break.

The Tampa Bay Lightning forward is expected to have surgery to repair a meniscus tear Thursday, and his best-case recovery timeline is four months, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.

Stamkos will head to Vail, Colo., where he is scheduled to undergo the arthroscopic knee procedure, according to the report.

Typical rehab time for the surgery is four-to-six months, but his precise recovery time is yet to be determined.

Stamkos sustained the injury Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings.

Last April, Stamkos was diagnosed with a blood clot in his arm, which led to him missing the rest of the regular season and most of the Lightning's playoff run, until returning for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.

A broken leg limited him to 37 games in 2013-14.

The 26-year-old signed an eight-year, $68-million deal to remain with the Lightning over the summer.

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Joel Eriksson Ek's first NHL season will be an abbreviated one.

The Minnesota Wild assigned the 19-year-old forward to Farjestad BK in the Swedish Elite League, the club announced Thursday.

Eriksson Ek scored two goals and added three assists in nine games this season with the Wild, who drafted him 20th overall in 2015.

He played his first two pro seasons with Farjestad from 2014-16.

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▲ A more humane form of Capital punishment

Amid the post-election fallout in D.C. and beyond, Washington's NHL club is quietly starting to hit its stride.

The Capitals dismantled the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1 on Wednesday night, hours after the Penguins' social media staff roasted that of the Capitals.

Pittsburgh won the Twitter exchange, but Washington got the last laugh and then some in the ensuing blowout.

The Capitals are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and their next four are at home.

▼ Healthy NHL talent

It wasn't quite the 23 minutes that shook the hockey world, but the NHL's stable of healthy superstars took a serious hit Wednesday with three significant injury announcements.

The Tampa Bay Lightning revealed captain Steven Stamkos suffered a torn meniscus that will reportedly keep him out for at least four months.

Calgary Flames phenom Johnny Gaudreau has a broken finger after being slashed repeatedly by the Minnesota Wild.

New Jersey Devils' leading scorer, Taylor Hall - who was part of the aforementioned flurry of activity over the summer - has a knee injury that could keep him out for a month.

It was a brutal Wednesday afternoon for the NHL and its crop of talent both young and old.

▲ Marner's magic

Auston Matthews' first career slump is getting most of the attention in Toronto, but Mitch Marner's steady production shouldn't be overlooked.

The latter 19-year-old posted another multi-point game Tuesday - his third in the last five contests - and now has 15 points in his first 16 games.

Marner has erased any doubt that he belongs in the league, and while his Maple Leafs still have plenty of work to do, they can at least take comfort knowing he's adjusted well to the NHL.

▼ The league's Olympic leverage

Ongoing negotiations regarding the NHL's potential participation in the 2018 Olympic Games are getting dicey, and the power now appears to be in the players' hands.

The NHL is reportedly offering the union an extension on the CBA in exchange for allowing the players to go to South Korea, but the NHL's most outspoken agent isn't buying it as a gesture of good faith.

Walsh's response to the offer was predictable, but as he also points out, several players - including Alex Ovechkin - have already stated they plan to go regardless of whether the league officially participates.

It wouldn't make much sense for players to accept an extension to the CBA in exchange for the right to do something they'll likely do anyway.

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